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天才王子の赤字国家再生術~そうだ、売国しよう~ (Light Novel) #6
The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 6
IN THE UNEXPLORED REACHES OF THE OCEAN
Clear skies. Deep-blue sea. Tropical sun baking the sandy beach. Wein finds himself whisked away to the Patura islands in the tropical south, trying to make the best use of his access to the port in Soljest. These islands are at the top of his list of potential trade partners, and if he doesn’t come back to Natra with a deal in hand…let’s just say his monthly expenses might run him completely dry. It seems, however, that the gods are not on his side: One little slip-up lands him behind bars in the island nation. The only silver lining, it seems, is that his neighbor the next cell over seems like an interesting guy…who might have some-thing to do with the hunt for the Rainbow Crown, a piece of treasure housing magic that can control all of Patura!
Clear skies. Deep-blue sea. Tropical sun baking the sandy beach. Wein finds himself whisked away to the Patura islands in the tropical south, trying to make the best use of his access to the port in Soljest. These islands are at the top of his list of potential trade partners, and if he doesn’t come back to Natra with a deal in hand…let’s just say his monthly expenses might run him completely dry. It seems, however, that the gods are not on his side: One little slip-up lands him behind bars in the island nation. The only silver lining, it seems, is that his neighbor the next cell over seems like an interesting guy…who might have some-thing to do with the hunt for the Rainbow Crown, a piece of treasure housing magic that can control all of Patura!
- GenresLight NovelFantasyComedy
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2020
31 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 1, 2021
Clever but lacking dynamism. A little fun but for only so long. GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6 spends too much time aiming for the ever-shifting target of the new and the nifty instead of sticking to the familiar and the amusing. In the current volume, Wein and his faithful assistant, Ninym, venture beyond the southernmost point of the continent in search of a trade ally. Circumstances could be better. The prince is pushed toward seafaring because of his trouble in negotiating trade with the invariably more experienced King Gruyere Soljest. He also finds himself in this situation because, simply put, nobody wants to trade with a secluded, resource-depleted nation like the Kingdom of Natra. To the high seas!
Readers won't get much out of this book. It's an exceedingly light read, and one can punch through it in a single afternoon. One might even go so far as to say it reads like a filler episode of a popular TV program: singularly new setting or environment, calamitous inconveniences put the hero in danger, infrequent and unnecessary cutaways to once-purposeful secondary characters, curious exchanges of brilliance in a moment of conflict that save the day. GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6 carries the cleverness and egotism for which Wein is known, but surrounding that brute intelligence rests a dithering narrative and a sizeable amount of surprisingly boring naval action.
Wein and Ninym are caught up in a power struggle on the Patura Archipelago, south of the continent. Before the Natra delegation can arrive to conduct its vaunted trade talks, there's an uprising courtesy of a banished prince, pirating courtesy of reckless cutthroats, and all manner of political scheming courtesy of the archipelago's individual tribal leaders. How the heck is Wein supposed to negotiate trade when there's a war going on?
Fortune and luck bounce the seasick prince from prison to cabin to castle, each time in search of the right silver-tongued words that will encourage people to trust him just enough to hold their blade and to chat things over. Sensible policy can only be had with sensible people, after all. And it's up to Wein to circumnavigate the brilliant Legul Zarif, the self-declared ruler of the archipelago in turmoil, until it's time to hightail it home.
GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6 offers an interesting case for which Wein must very deliberately manipulate the internal politics of another, small nation to his advantage to ensure his survival. Previously, the prince did so cautiously and as a last resort. Now, Wein makes a pact with Felite Zarif, younger brother to the prodigal son/usurper, and endeavors to convince a council of tribal leaders to do what's in the best interest of the nation (even if those interests are communicated through the genius of a foreign dignitary).
This novel, again, reads like a side story. Wein isn't so much proactive as he is applying his diligent studies in history and psychology. He's good at making tactful gambles. Apparently, his nickname is the Dragon of the North. But even dragons, it would seem, are good at playing the passive negotiator when the situation calls for it.
Wein doesn't get into any fights, arguments, or debates. He doesn't struggle for anything. He doesn't worry excessively. He hasn't any need to defend himself or Ninym, aside from occasionally getting tossed about on a boat. In GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6, readers will find Wein, the main character, functioning as a kind of supporting actor, facilitating the narrative through his sponsorship and defense of other characters for whom the stakes ring truer. For example, if Felite wants to rule the archipelago with confidence and grace, he must prove he's a capable man to the council of tribal leaders (Wein can only offer his encouragement).
The twisting and turning of story details, native to previous volumes of this novel series, are present but to a far lesser extent. Wein's intelligence peeks through here and there, but never in such a brazen way as to denote an all-or-nothing situation is on the horizon. The book's emphasis on naval warfare is only somewhat interesting and generally resides in the realm of tedious over-narration of cardinal wind directions, boat-style descriptions, and exclamatory synonyms for the things that ocean waves can do. GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6 helps fill out the legend of Prince Wein, but it is ultimately a rather minor facet of the young man's enduring legacy.
Readers won't get much out of this book. It's an exceedingly light read, and one can punch through it in a single afternoon. One might even go so far as to say it reads like a filler episode of a popular TV program: singularly new setting or environment, calamitous inconveniences put the hero in danger, infrequent and unnecessary cutaways to once-purposeful secondary characters, curious exchanges of brilliance in a moment of conflict that save the day. GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6 carries the cleverness and egotism for which Wein is known, but surrounding that brute intelligence rests a dithering narrative and a sizeable amount of surprisingly boring naval action.
Wein and Ninym are caught up in a power struggle on the Patura Archipelago, south of the continent. Before the Natra delegation can arrive to conduct its vaunted trade talks, there's an uprising courtesy of a banished prince, pirating courtesy of reckless cutthroats, and all manner of political scheming courtesy of the archipelago's individual tribal leaders. How the heck is Wein supposed to negotiate trade when there's a war going on?
Fortune and luck bounce the seasick prince from prison to cabin to castle, each time in search of the right silver-tongued words that will encourage people to trust him just enough to hold their blade and to chat things over. Sensible policy can only be had with sensible people, after all. And it's up to Wein to circumnavigate the brilliant Legul Zarif, the self-declared ruler of the archipelago in turmoil, until it's time to hightail it home.
GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6 offers an interesting case for which Wein must very deliberately manipulate the internal politics of another, small nation to his advantage to ensure his survival. Previously, the prince did so cautiously and as a last resort. Now, Wein makes a pact with Felite Zarif, younger brother to the prodigal son/usurper, and endeavors to convince a council of tribal leaders to do what's in the best interest of the nation (even if those interests are communicated through the genius of a foreign dignitary).
This novel, again, reads like a side story. Wein isn't so much proactive as he is applying his diligent studies in history and psychology. He's good at making tactful gambles. Apparently, his nickname is the Dragon of the North. But even dragons, it would seem, are good at playing the passive negotiator when the situation calls for it.
Wein doesn't get into any fights, arguments, or debates. He doesn't struggle for anything. He doesn't worry excessively. He hasn't any need to defend himself or Ninym, aside from occasionally getting tossed about on a boat. In GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6, readers will find Wein, the main character, functioning as a kind of supporting actor, facilitating the narrative through his sponsorship and defense of other characters for whom the stakes ring truer. For example, if Felite wants to rule the archipelago with confidence and grace, he must prove he's a capable man to the council of tribal leaders (Wein can only offer his encouragement).
The twisting and turning of story details, native to previous volumes of this novel series, are present but to a far lesser extent. Wein's intelligence peeks through here and there, but never in such a brazen way as to denote an all-or-nothing situation is on the horizon. The book's emphasis on naval warfare is only somewhat interesting and generally resides in the realm of tedious over-narration of cardinal wind directions, boat-style descriptions, and exclamatory synonyms for the things that ocean waves can do. GENIUS PRINCE . . . #6 helps fill out the legend of Prince Wein, but it is ultimately a rather minor facet of the young man's enduring legacy.
May 11, 2021
After events in volume 5 Wein has access to a port, but without customers there is very little he can do with it. The West does not want to deal with him, so when princess Tolcheila offers him an introduction to the rulers of the Patura Islands at the southern tip of the continent he grasps it with both hands. He ends up in the middle of a civil war, needing every sail he has to get out ahead of this one.
The book has the same strengths and weaknesses as the previous volumes - a good addition to the series. Pro: world building, intelligent plotting, no magic; Cons: vile mastermind villain plotting destruction of the world in the background (at least at a first glance), cutesy art that does not fit the story, odd exposition at times and random statement about what historians later thought of the the situation (a trope I don't like). Two things stood out. If you are going to bluff in a ransom situation, offering a ridiculous amount of gold is not going to work no matter how charismatic you are. The same situation could have been achieved with a bit more work. I could also have done without the almost required beach episode though. Granted, it is not exactly along the trope recipe, but bikinis and embarrassed aides being teased are. It was kind of funny, but felt rather out of place.
Still, an enjoyable quick read and a good addition to the series.
The book has the same strengths and weaknesses as the previous volumes - a good addition to the series. Pro: world building, intelligent plotting, no magic; Cons: vile mastermind villain plotting destruction of the world in the background (at least at a first glance), cutesy art that does not fit the story, odd exposition at times and random statement about what historians later thought of the the situation (a trope I don't like). Two things stood out. If you are going to bluff in a ransom situation, offering a ridiculous amount of gold is not going to work no matter how charismatic you are. The same situation could have been achieved with a bit more work. I could also have done without the almost required beach episode though. Granted, it is not exactly along the trope recipe, but bikinis and embarrassed aides being teased are. It was kind of funny, but felt rather out of place.
Still, an enjoyable quick read and a good addition to the series.
January 7, 2023
The quality of the story dropped noticeably this volume. The story did not have the layer upon layer of politics that was visible in previous volumes. The story was much more straightforward and uninteresting.
However, the events are a natural continuation of the wider storyline, so I am holding out hope that the intrigue will improve in the next volume.
However, the events are a natural continuation of the wider storyline, so I am holding out hope that the intrigue will improve in the next volume.
October 20, 2022
This one was pretty average. Didn't really like the story and the MCs barely had any focus. Hopefully this one was just an exception to what has been an otherwise a very good series.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews