The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up, Vol. 3 by Rino Mayumi

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up, Vol. 3 by Rino Mayumi

My Rating: ★★★★★

Seren is flying toward her goals at full speed. Literally. Now that she knows she will qualify for the High Mage exam for sure, she’s faced with a new task: figuring out how to tell her family. Seren has also been carefully planting the seeds for her absence once she’s broken her engagement to the prince. As her sister struggles with her new role at the salon, and it becomes clear that things are not what they seemed to her, it’s become clear that Seren is not as replaceable as she thought. Is Seren ready to put her plan into play, especially now that she wants to become a High Mage for herself and not for anyone else’s benefit?

After the last book, I was surprised at how fast the story picked up this time around! Honestly, it blew me away. This volume has everything: action, romance, character growth, and world building. I guess the second book was just a dip in the story because this one came out swinging! There’s also a nice balance between the rotating perspectives. While we still mainly follow Seren while occasionally switching over to seeing things from Viol’s eyes, we hopped over to a few others and it was extremely effective storytelling.

While I wish we learned more about Seren’s parents before this volume, I really enjoyed finally getting to see them. I just wish we knew more about how they were as parents so that I could compare that to their response to learning that Seren was going to be taking the High Mage exam. However, I really did like her parents and I’m excited to see how they pop up in the story again later.

All in all, this was an excellent read. I think this could actually pass as the final book because the story feels complete, but I know there’s four volumes in total since I got the last two books at the same time. I’m interested in seeing where the story goes from here and if we’re going to see things shake up since things run pretty smoothly in this volume.

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride, Vol. 1 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru; Midori Yuma

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride, Vol. 1 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru; Midori Yuma

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Kodansha Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nanao was set to eventually marry into the Byakurenji family when some careful scheming on her cousin’s part changed her life forever. Unfortunately, trusting in her jealous and deceitful cousin led to an attack from an ayakashi, which has left her with the scar and scent of their attack. Nanao doesn’t remember anything from the attack, but her entire future was snatched away and given to her cousin while she’s forced to wear a monkey mask to hide her face, scar, and scent. She has lived her life as an outcast, abandoned by her family, and constantly abused because everyone views her as tainted. Everything changes when the new lord of the Benitsubaki family discovers her and decides that they should marry!

I was interested in this story because this is an adaptation of a light novel from the same creator of Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, and I love the manga adaptation of that series. However, I was still not expecting to love the story as much as I did! We follow Nanao, a young woman who is viewed as tainted by the orangutan ayakashi that attacked her. She’s constantly verbally and physically abused, and she’s forced to secretly work for the same cousin who set her up for life as an outcast. Her entire clan views her as tainted and fears being contaminated by her touch, scent, blood, and even the sound of her voice because they have an obsession with their version of purity.

If you’re a fan of My Happy Marriage, this series is going to be right up your alley. Nanao has been verbally and physically abused for so long that she doesn’t have any self-esteem left, let alone any hope of ever finding happiness. However, thanks to finally getting away from the life she thought she was sentenced to until the end of her days, she’s slowly coming out on the other side. Plus, there’s a lot of interesting characters that come into the picture once she escapes the hell that was once her life. It’s a well-written story that sucks you in right away and blows you away with the stunning artwork. I can’t wait for the second volume!

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up, Vol. 2 by Rino Mayumi

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up, Vol. 2 by Rino Mayumi

My Rating: ★★★

After working hard to study magic at lightning speed, Seren is finally ready to test her abilities against magical beasts! It also means that she and Vi are going to have to sneak out without being seen. Seren has a lot on her plate, but she’s determined to become a High Mage and spend her life devoted to magic and everything that comes with it. Unfortunately for her, Prince Helios has finally started paying attention to her as his future wife. Will her old feelings throw a wrench in her plans?

I loved the first book, but I’m a little iffy about the second installment. While a few important things did occur, there was also a whole lot of nothing in between each of the important events. I wouldn’t have minded so much filler if there was some good character development, but that simply wasn’t the case. If anything, I kept thinking about how so much could be solved through simple communication, but then it wouldn’t make the story as fun as it is!

While much of the book covers studying and practicing magic, I did like seeing Seren sneak out and be able to test her magic skills outside of her secret training sessions. It was great to see what everyone was up to and what they were planning in the present. It was also great to see some world building with new characters getting introduced and seeing the characters out on the town. I think the filler would’ve worked out better if it wasn’t constant details on studying and practicing magic. It just gets dull after a while and makes the story feel like it’s at a standstill, especially because there wasn’t much character development happening during the sessions. Honestly, the highlight of the book was the side story at the end.

I swear I’m not full of complaints, though. There was some progress on the romance front with Seren and Viol and it was really cute. We did get to see the super curious side of Seren at some point, and it’ll be fun to see her finally get some character growth in the next book. I kept thinking about how it seems like she doesn’t have any friends, so I’m hoping we’ll see her make a friend once her High Mage plans are out in the open.

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up, Vol. 1 by Rino Mayumi

 

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up Vol. 1 by Rino Mayumi

My Rating: ★★★★

Seren has been engaged to her fiancé, Prince Helios, ever since she could remember. She’s spent her life in consort training to prepare for her future as a princess and eventually queen consort. Everything changes when she overhears Prince Helios and his friends talking about how her younger sister, Marietta, would make a much better fiancé. It’s even worse because they all call her Princess Drab! Even her sister believes she should be the real future queen! Brokenhearted, Seren hatches a plan to free Prince Helios from their arranged marriage: she’s going to become a high mage. Now she just needs a magic tutor willing to teach her how to wield her magic in secret!

I’ve gotten into light novels this year and this series is the latest one that I’ve started. We follow Seren and Lord Viol through their rotating perspectives with the occasional glimpse into the story from a supporting character’s view. Our main protagonist is Seren, who is an extremely sweet, thoughtful, and smart person. She has extremely low self-esteem to the point that she isn’t even mad for herself when she overhears the hurtful comments being made about her. Meanwhile, Viol isn’t exactly a people person, but he’s not a bad person. He’s just rough around the edges and people think he’s scary based on the vibes he puts out to keep people from approaching him.

While I do think that some of the characters, especially Seren, needed more character development, I really loved the story. It’s sweet, funny, and just a nice feel good story where we know that Seren will eventually come out extremely happy. I’m excited to see her begin to develop some self-esteem as her story progresses, and I’m feeling hopeful about her future character development. Viol and his shenanigans pretending to be his own Familiar are funny, but it’s fun to see him realize he cares about more than magic.

All in all, it’s an excellent read and I had a hard time putting this book down. The only drawback is that I don’t already have the second book in my hands! It’s easy to identify with Seren, so I’m excited to see the story expand on her as a character. It’s also fun to see the story through various supporting character’s perspectives. Plus, I love learning about the rules of magic in this universe so it’ll be interesting to see how exactly becoming a high mage voids an arranged marriage!

Making Pottery without a Kiln: Happy Little Projects to Make for Your Home by Daniela Schmidt-Kohl

Making Pottery without a Kiln: Happy Little Projects to Make for Your Home by Daniela Schmidt-Kohl

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Fox Chapel Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book caught my eye because it’s a great way to introduce people to different types of clay since most people think of ceramic clay first! This book covers using modeling and air-hardening clay to make household items, and explains the differences between both before diving into the tools and many projects this book covers. I like the nice range of projects they show us because it shows off how versatile these clays can be! I particularly liked the idea of using leaves because I never thought about using them outside of Raku for some reason. I’m excited to use some leaves with my future projects again!

All in all, this is a great book to get readers started with using non-ceramic types of clay. I think it’s a fun way for people to get started in pottery without having to think about kilns or baking their projects in an oven or toaster oven. I think it’s a fun book to check out if you’ve ever been interested in pottery!

Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home by Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home by Amy Kimoto-Kahn

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Rock Point through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a simple to follow and tasty cookbook on ramen, then this book might be for you! Inside, you will find 60+ recipes ranging from soup bases to ramen toppings and side dishes. Of course, you will find a nice range of ramen recipes separated into four categories: pork, chicken, and beef ramen, seafood ramen, vegetable ramen, and spicy and cold ramen. The recipes are clear and easy to follow in addition to sounding absolutely delicious. Plus, there are quite a few illustrated pictures of the dishes rather than photographs. While that may not be for everyone, I thought it was really fun! All in all, I’m excited to make some of the dishes found in this book.

Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical Anime Besties by Naomi Lord

Cute Fantasy Art Class: Mystical Anime Besties by Naomi Lord

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Rock Point through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you like to draw and are looking to move to drawing human or fantasy characters, this might be the book for you! Inside you will find tips and tricks to drawing faces, limbs, clothing, and some fantasy elements. I really like that it’s a step-by-step guide because I’m not the best at drawing people, and they break it down in a way that’s not overwhelming. While I picked up the book because I’ve been a fan of Naomi’s artwork for years, learning new things about drawing people and fantasy elements was a nice bonus.

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 4 by Almond

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 4 by Almond

My Rating: ★★★★

Now that the Faith Council of Saints has been established and accepted, it’s time for everyone’s final contestant to compete against each other! Unfortunately for Carolina, it means she has to go up against her vile older sister, Flora. It’s also clear that something is very wrong with Flora, and her health is rapidly declining as they compete!

In the final volume of the series, we finally see Carolina and Flora’s showdown. There was a lot of interesting information about mana manipulation involved. However, it seemed out of place because it was Archbishop Mills and his supporters who produced the mana manipulation pills. I wish the in-depth information we learned about mana manipulation happened in the previous novel where it would’ve made the most sense: during Mills’s POV sections.

That said, the book is mostly solid even though some of the plots were resolved too easily, but I’ll live. I was surprised by the lack of filler, especially compared to the amount of filler in the third volume. This volume hit the ground running and didn’t start pulling back until around halfway through. By that point, it was working on wrapping up all the loose ends and letting us see the future that was in store for each of the characters.

All in all, I’m really happy with this book. We finally got to see the sisters go toe to toe, and that was exciting. It was great to see many of the characters happily look to the future. There were some surprises that I enjoyed, a few things that I expected thanks to the excellent foreshadowing, and a nice wrap up. It felt kind of like the end of a movie but without extensive flash forwards at the end. I really like how things turned out!

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 3 by Almond

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 3 by Almond

My Rating: ★★★

Just when Carolina thought things were starting to calm down, her father turned up on official business. It turns out that Archbishop Mills somehow knows that she’s been blessed with divinity, and he wants Carolina returned to Celestia. The royal family thought they had time before people began to figure out that she was blessed with divine power. Little do they know that no one schemes harder than Flora… and now Mills.

While the long-winded flowery writing previously worked really well for this series, it was tragic to see the complete opposite began occur in this volume. Honestly, there was a whole lot of filler in what is otherwise a pretty good story. By the time I was 20% into the book, I was debating on whether or not I wanted to continue because the majority of what I had just read was filler. I wish I was joking, but it was just page after page of long-winded nonsense that should’ve been edited out. This book should’ve hit the ground running and what we got was the exact opposite of that.

Thankfully, it got it together around 35% into the volume. There was still filler here and there, but it was much better than earlier in the book. Plus, the plot started to get rolling and it was quite the read! We’re getting to know many of the characters better than ever, and a few of the characters on Carolina’s side are beginning to show some mean streaks. I’m looking at you, Teo! I also really enjoyed that we jumped around more character POV’s this time around. I hope this continues in the next volume.

All in all, the story was good, but prepare yourself for a lot of unnecessary filler early in the volume. I’m a little scared we’re going to see that happen again in volume four, but I’m going to jump straight into it anyway because I’m so interested in seeing where things are headed. I know Carolina is going to come out on top, but I’m also ready to see Flora going full force with her scheming. Plus, I hope to see their father finally see exactly what had been going on under his nose for years.

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 2 by Almond

 

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 2 by Almond

My Rating: ★★★

Now that Carolina is married and has officially become a princess, she’s off on her honeymoon that was planned on extremely short notice. The short honeymoon is surprisingly impactful between being able to spend time with her new husband out of the limelight, learning more about her closest staff, and getting tested for magical abilities. In fact, the test has revealed that not only is Carolina a Saint, but she’s actually been blessed with Divinity!

A good portion of this book was pretty good. It was interesting to learn more about how this world works. I was also excited to get to know more characters, especially Prince Gilbert now that Carolina’s abilities have been revealed. He’s certainly different from his public persona. Of course he wants the one woman he can’t have when he’s got women falling over themselves and each other for him! In reality, he seems a bit smarmy if you ask me. A fascinating character for sure, but definitely one to watch out for.

The wedding was short and sweet, but then we see Prince Edward make some blunders. Is he or is he not interested in Carolina? While we know the answer to that, he’s busy sending mixed signals and growing frustrated with the results. Plus, his jealousy streak has been activated. His response jumped straight into the beginnings of an abusive marriage and it was completely brushed over because he’s a man in love. I don’t even know what’s worse: the story glossing it over, or Carolina being completely unphased like she wasn’t yelled at, physically dragged off, and injured.

Overall, the story was mostly good, but Edward’s abusive nature being shown and it being completely glossed over has left a sour taste in my mouth. It’s quickly squared away with the excuse that he’s just a man in love who had been failing to express himself. I doubt the author will have it happen again, but anyone who knows anything about abusive relationships can see right through his actions and the tears that quickly follow. It makes me sad that this even happened in the story and that Carolina’s thoughts on the matter don’t match up with the situation or even her as a character.

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 1 by Almond

 

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power: Forget My Sister! Turns Out I Was the Real Saint All Along! Vol. 1 by Almond

My Rating: ★★★★

Lady Carolina was born to a prestigious family full of magical abilities. Unfortunately, she’s the only person in the family born without a single ounce of magical powers. Raised as the family disappointment forced to live in the shadow of her older sister, Carolina is used to being ridiculed by her sister and the public at every turn. Things change when the king needs to smooth out political breakdown with a neighboring empire, and now she finds herself being married off to the second prince of Malcosias who is widely known as the “Bloodthirsty Prince,” otherwise known as a slayer of both good and bad.

I was so excited to start this book because the title informed me that Carolina was going to come out on top, and quickly. We follow Carolina through her perspective, which reads like a long-winded diary with dialogue added. We occasionally see things through a different character’s perspective, but Carolina is narrating the story majority of the time. I really liked reading this book because the flowery long-winded passages were done extremely well. There was definitely a risk of this kind of narration not panning out, but it was done very well, and I just couldn’t get enough of the story.

That said, it is a slow-paced story. It was 250+ pages that covered under a month of Carolina’s life. I haven’t checked out the manga yet, but if a slow-paced and long-winded story isn’t your thing and the premise sounds up your alley, I would recommend seeing if the manga will be more your thing. The romance is also a very slow burn and not one of the primary plots in this first volume, but I swear that this romance is also simmering on main.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s a story about characters who are verbally abused and shamed by public society, and even by family in Carolina’s case. It’s also a story about these characters slowly finding confidence in themselves and connecting with each other in a political climate that could potentially claim their lives. At first, I thought Carolina was the only character who has gone through a lot behind closed doors and is forced to pretend everything is okay as the public constantly informs her that she is a disappointment. However, I quickly discovered that is not the case and there are actually a lot of complex characters going through something similar.

All in all, I’m really excited to check out the second book. It was a little weird that Carolina doesn’t find out that she’s been a Saint all along before the end of the book, but there was quite a bit of world building that took place instead, so it worked out. However, there are some details that don’t quite add up, and sometimes the sudden change in POV is jarring. I’m overlooking those issues because I think they’ll add up as the story progresses, especially if what I think will be revealed is indeed what’s going to be revealed to the characters. I just know I’m excited to check out the second book and see where we go from here, especially when Carolina eventually comes out way ahead of her truly awful sister!

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent: The Other Saint Vol. 1-2 by Yuka Tachibana, Aoagu

 

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent: The Other Saint Vol. 1-2 by Yuka Tachibana, Aoagu

My Rating: ★

Aira’s life was forever changed in seconds when she was suddenly summoned to another world where magic and monsters are real. Now everyone thinks she’s a saint who is destined to save everyone. Unfortunately for Aria, her stats show that she’s a Mage, and she’s terrified of what will happen when everyone eventually learns she’s not a saint. Now she’s alone in this fantasy world where the only person she can rely on is also the one with the most to lose if her saintly powers don’t pan out.

I absolutely love The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent, so of course I had to grab the spin-off! We follow Aira from the moment she’s summoned into an entirely new world up until around volume 8 of the main series. I was really looking forward to seeing things through Aira’s perspective. While I know that these are lighthearted feel-good stories, I think that there was a lot that we could’ve explored through Aira’s eyes. She’s a teenager suddenly thrown on her own with no way back home. She starts the series with the pressure of the world on her shoulders because everyone is expecting her to be a saint. There is so much that could be brought to the table.

Unfortunately, this series heavily relies on its mother series, and touches on Aira’s story in an extremely superficial way. While the first volume was okay, it had its issues, which I let go because I figured it was trying to find its legs as a spin-off. The second volume continues to heavily rely on the mother series, and it continues to superficially touch on the story. There is no character growth, and it doesn’t add much to the world we originally saw through Sei’s eyes.

While I’m a little sad that this spin-off series didn’t pan out, I don’t think it’s a total loss. I think the first volume is worth checking out because some chapters would’ve fit into The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent, or at least been extras at the back of some of the volumes. Whether or not one wants to continue after that is up to them. Personally, I won't be continuing this series because it’s failing to stand up as its own story for me.

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent Vol. 1-8 by Yuka Tachibana, Fujiazuki

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent Vol. 1-8 by Yuka Tachibana, Fujiazuki

My Rating: ★★★★★

When Sei is unexpectedly summoned to another world, it was a surprise to everyone. The saint summoning ritual was meant to summon one person, but it brought Aira and then Sei shortly after! Just to top things off, she’s quickly ignored and can’t even return home. Now she has to start over in a world where magic is real. What is Sei to do when it turns out that only one saint was summoned, and that it’s her?

I’m reviewing the first eight novels in this series, which are absolutely wonderful. We follow Sei right as she’s summoned from our world and into a place where magic and monsters are real. As far as anyone knows, Sei can’t be sent back home, so she’s stuck in this new place. However, it’s a lighthearted story and so she quickly finds a place in this world where she’s able to explore her interests as well as her newfound saintly abilities.

There’s a great cast of characters that I love seeing as Sei’s story continues throughout the series. I have a few favorites, but I really just love how lovely and supporting many of the characters are. Sei was the backup saint that was summoned, so she’s left to settle in without any pressure to be any kind of savior. She makes new friends everywhere she goes and discovers a whole new branch of work that she loves. I wish we’d learn more about the royals that we hardly see, especially since the eldest prince was in charge of the saint summoning ceremony, but I can live with what we’ve been given so far.

The only drawback is that the very cute romance is moving at a snail’s pace. There’s a date early on in the story, but we never revisit it, but it’s very clear that the Sei and Albert have feelings for each other. Meanwhile, they’ve yet to have a second date, and there hasn’t been any other progress with their romance. Basically, don’t start this series if you’re looking for a larger romance plot.

All in all, this is such a cute and light series. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a cute feel-good fantasy. Plus, the artwork is beautiful and there’s also an anime adaptation!