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cadifazio's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jijirich's review
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-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? Yes
4.5
I love that the light novel is not the same as the manga. The story was as engaging even though I have already read all of the available manga volumes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Dysphoria
livgomersall's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
alliereadbooks's review
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jovieve's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
athenaevarinya's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
frogie's review against another edition
3.25
After a life wasted in being cruel to her half-sister, only to wind up imprisoned and regretting everything, a villainess finds herself thrust back in time to the moment before she makes her first true mistake.
It's not the first time I've seen this premise. Unlike the usual tale of the villainess taking her second chance as an opportunity to get revenge on those who scorned her, Violette really wants to repent and be a different person. She succeeds for the most part; instead of being hostile and confrontational, she chooses to remain placid and unmoved. I have to admit, as much as I like the idea of her snapping back at certain people (in particular her father, who really is such a neglectful and cowardly piece of trash), I still like this route of general indifference.
I also appreciated the fact that the author did her best to make the other characters more than their usual, often caricatured roles. The idealistic prince who thinks the worst of the villainess is a young man under a lot of pressure to succeed and be perfect. The villainess' personal maid who would do anything for her lady is someone from a difficult background who recognises her social limitations and chooses to always be a calm, protective safe place for Violette to retreat to. The childhood friend who is practically sunshine personified actually has a notably darker side to him, along with a severely antagonistic grudge that he hides through a paper-thin veneer of civility. Even the half-sister has hinted at some hidden depths herself - although she too is morally righteous and believes in fair justice, she doesn't outright dismiss the reality that things aren't always as clear cut as she wants to believe, when pointed out to her.
Because of this, I can somewhat see the possibility of the author taking this down more of a "misunderstood/preconceived assumptions" route. For example, Violette is convinced her father hates her and that he will do anything for her half-sister, even if it means trampling on everything that is Violette to achieve it. Probably a bit of a harsh outlook, but I just dislike the guy that much. I personally hope there isn't any form of reconciliation between Violette and her father, and if her father ends up regretting losing out on ever knowing his oldest child, even better.
While the surprising depths of the standard character roles were refreshing, I did end up getting a bit bogged down by how slow the story was. Not much happens plot-wise, and while the occasional looks into the past lives of other characters were informative, I somewhat wish the story had focused a bit more on Violette. Although she started out as someone looking to reform and remain detached from everyone around her, she ends up feeling more passive than anything. Part of me believes she is severely depressed from both her (horrible and lonely) past/future and her current present where she believes she deserves to be alone, that she must be alone. It actually kind of made me a little depressed by the end to read her negative thoughts, particularly about her relationship with her family.
In terms of writing style, it was easy to read, if somewhat lacking in description. I could never quite clearly picture the settings. The art style was clean and I wish there had been even a few more images added to the story.
Overall, not a bad start to a series.
It's not the first time I've seen this premise. Unlike the usual tale of the villainess taking her second chance as an opportunity to get revenge on those who scorned her, Violette really wants to repent and be a different person. She succeeds for the most part; instead of being hostile and confrontational, she chooses to remain placid and unmoved. I have to admit, as much as I like the idea of her snapping back at certain people (in particular her father, who really is such a neglectful and cowardly piece of trash), I still like this route of general indifference.
I also appreciated the fact that the author did her best to make the other characters more than their usual, often caricatured roles. The idealistic prince who thinks the worst of the villainess is a young man under a lot of pressure to succeed and be perfect. The villainess' personal maid who would do anything for her lady is someone from a difficult background who recognises her social limitations and chooses to always be a calm, protective safe place for Violette to retreat to. The childhood friend who is practically sunshine personified actually has a notably darker side to him, along with a severely antagonistic grudge that he hides through a paper-thin veneer of civility. Even the half-sister has hinted at some hidden depths herself - although she too is morally righteous and believes in fair justice, she doesn't outright dismiss the reality that things aren't always as clear cut as she wants to believe, when pointed out to her.
Because of this, I can somewhat see the possibility of the author taking this down more of a "misunderstood/preconceived assumptions" route. For example, Violette is convinced her father hates her and that he will do anything for her half-sister, even if it means trampling on everything that is Violette to achieve it. Probably a bit of a harsh outlook, but I just dislike the guy that much. I personally hope there isn't any form of reconciliation between Violette and her father, and if her father ends up regretting losing out on ever knowing his oldest child, even better.
While the surprising depths of the standard character roles were refreshing, I did end up getting a bit bogged down by how slow the story was. Not much happens plot-wise, and while the occasional looks into the past lives of other characters were informative, I somewhat wish the story had focused a bit more on Violette. Although she started out as someone looking to reform and remain detached from everyone around her, she ends up feeling more passive than anything. Part of me believes she is severely depressed from both her (horrible and lonely) past/future and her current present where she believes she deserves to be alone, that she must be alone. It actually kind of made me a little depressed by the end to read her negative thoughts, particularly about her relationship with her family.
In terms of writing style, it was easy to read, if somewhat lacking in description. I could never quite clearly picture the settings. The art style was clean and I wish there had been even a few more images added to the story.
Overall, not a bad start to a series.
loku's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0