yona260's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
natalie001's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
luckyladybug3's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.75
confusedmuse's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
I've seen a lot of praise for this series from other fans of the villainess isekai subgenre, which is why I couldn't help but be a little disappointed by most of this first volume. While the angle of creating a business to gradually improve society after dodging her bad end is an interesting hook, most things seem to fall into place with little tension. Iris seemingly invents chocolate and shampoo, as well as a distribution system to make and sell them, seemingly out of thin air. Most of the logistical problems inherent in introducing modern day capitalism into a medieval society are handwaved away. Iris is presented not as a villainess, but as someone who was secretly right all along, the kind of person who adopts orphans and raises them to be so competent in their chosen fields that anything she wants done is as simple as asking for it. All obstacles are easily overcome within a scene or so, and two years go by in the story while we are told that Iris is working very hard, despite the fact that all we see of that work is random conversations about reports.
However, towards the very end, the volume started focusing more on the characters. Iris gradually realizes that she may not be using her knowledge of her past life purely for altruistic reasons, but also as something to focus on aside from her broken heart. The potential political fallout and the tensions between the family of the first and second princes start to be explored. And then the volume ends just before Iris is about to face her ex and high society for the first time in years. The last ~40 pages or so were far more compelling than the rest of the volume, and while one major plot twist is pretty easy to guess, it makes the newly introduced intrigue all the more compelling. I went from not wanting to continue this series to wanting to pick up the new volume to see how things shake out. Here's hoping that the rest of the series builds from here!
However, towards the very end, the volume started focusing more on the characters. Iris gradually realizes that she may not be using her knowledge of her past life purely for altruistic reasons, but also as something to focus on aside from her broken heart. The potential political fallout and the tensions between the family of the first and second princes start to be explored. And then the volume ends just before Iris is about to face her ex and high society for the first time in years. The last ~40 pages or so were far more compelling than the rest of the volume, and while one major plot twist is pretty easy to guess, it makes the newly introduced intrigue all the more compelling. I went from not wanting to continue this series to wanting to pick up the new volume to see how things shake out. Here's hoping that the rest of the series builds from here!
mooming6v6's review against another edition
4.0
this is more like a 3.5 in my book but it's only the first (fairly short) book in the series so im holding any extreme hang-ups until further in.
story starts off at the classic broken engagement scene and its great how you can feel the betrayal our MC is facing/ the ridiculousness over the situation.
the buildup to how she acquires the dukedom and leads it afterwards is heading to some great face slapping, however that's all it is. just buildup. there is a lot, and i mean a lot, of exposition on building a government and solving economic issues using produce like cacao beans and sushi which is okay but i'm personally not reading villainess stories for a look into capitalism and governing. iris' success also relies heavily on how lucky she is with the dukedom land (again cacao beans and sushi? its not improbable but trying to imagine the map gets confusing), and i frequently get stuck over how the king is allowing all of this success since it seems like she's almost making her own mini kingdom. i did enjoy seeing the dynamics around iris, and there are some satisfying scenes but i'm still waiting for her big comeback against the other "capture targets."
to be fair, it seems like i only have to play the waiting game to get to this moment, so i'm definitely reading the next book!
story starts off at the classic broken engagement scene and its great how you can feel the betrayal our MC is facing/ the ridiculousness over the situation.
the buildup to how she acquires the dukedom and leads it afterwards is heading to some great face slapping, however that's all it is. just buildup. there is a lot, and i mean a lot, of exposition on building a government and solving economic issues using produce like cacao beans and sushi which is okay but i'm personally not reading villainess stories for a look into capitalism and governing. iris' success also relies heavily on how lucky she is with the dukedom land (again cacao beans and sushi? its not improbable but trying to imagine the map gets confusing), and i frequently get stuck over how the king is allowing all of this success since it seems like she's almost making her own mini kingdom. i did enjoy seeing the dynamics around iris, and there are some satisfying scenes but i'm still waiting for her big comeback against the other "capture targets."
to be fair, it seems like i only have to play the waiting game to get to this moment, so i'm definitely reading the next book!
psh1232's review
5.0
I liked it a lot! The many character interactions with the once villainess now-turned heroine adds a a nice backdrop to the story dynamic. I wish there was more dialogue, but I guess meeting dialogues and day-to-day conversations would make the light novel stale. Pretty good! I wonder if this will get an anime...
neruyn's review
4.0
3.5
Compared to other similar series of that nature I've read so far, such as Tearmoon Empire and Ascendance of A Bookworm, the pacing is incredibly fast and it gets straight to the point, though at the cost of everything else. I'd like the characters, relationships, worldbuilding to be fleshed out more before such important actions are undertaken.
At times, it's more like I'm reading a summary of a story rather than a story itself. For example, Iris's mother had barely (if at all) appeared, yet she already had enormous (background, off-camera) influence on Iris's endeavours, just to name one example.
But what can I say, I am a sucker for this kingdom building genre, so I can't rate it too low.
Compared to other similar series of that nature I've read so far, such as Tearmoon Empire and Ascendance of A Bookworm, the pacing is incredibly fast and it gets straight to the point, though at the cost of everything else. I'd like the characters, relationships, worldbuilding to be fleshed out more before such important actions are undertaken.
At times, it's more like I'm reading a summary of a story rather than a story itself. For example, Iris's mother had barely (if at all) appeared, yet she already had enormous (background, off-camera) influence on Iris's endeavours, just to name one example.
But what can I say, I am a sucker for this kingdom building genre, so I can't rate it too low.
blusterybooks's review
5.0
This is everything I could have ever want to read in an Isekai! The world building is phenomenal! I would highly recommend reading this before attempting the Manga because of all of the time skips and characters. I'm going to read the next volume right away, and cannot wait to see where this story goes!
ashenwakeful_thistle's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75