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Reviews
The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life, Vol. 1 (Light Novel) by Usata Nonohara
anneloca's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
taun's review against another edition
3.0
A stampede of vicious monsters, an alchemical spell gone wrong…
Mariela has awoken to find her world has disappeared, time & the forest reclaiming her cottage, a Labyrinth City now sprawling across a once familiar land. Soon, she discovers that she’s the only alchemist left; a secret she’s determined to hold on to.
As she makes new friends, including a pact with Siegmond, Mariela works toward her own apothecary, where she can create her potions in secret, while still helping those around her.
A slice of life fantasy, with low stakes & cozy friendships. A fun one, & a nice companion to the mangas. Like the mangas, I disliked the Amber character, who’s basic identity revolves around her large bust & is commented on occasionally. I also dislike the use of slang. (While not offensive, I find it annoying)
Content Notes: crude talk/comparison between bust sizes
Mariela has awoken to find her world has disappeared, time & the forest reclaiming her cottage, a Labyrinth City now sprawling across a once familiar land. Soon, she discovers that she’s the only alchemist left; a secret she’s determined to hold on to.
As she makes new friends, including a pact with Siegmond, Mariela works toward her own apothecary, where she can create her potions in secret, while still helping those around her.
A slice of life fantasy, with low stakes & cozy friendships. A fun one, & a nice companion to the mangas. Like the mangas, I disliked the Amber character, who’s basic identity revolves around her large bust & is commented on occasionally. I also dislike the use of slang. (While not offensive, I find it annoying)
Content Notes: crude talk/comparison between bust sizes
lilsuccubus's review
2.5
Although I enjoy the story, I have some real issues with the writing. First I'll say that I prefer the manga so far because it leaves out the prostitution that is in the light novel. The beginning of the novel is heavily centered around prostitution. The main character regularly sells potions to a pimp as her main customer. I don't appreciate this being in stuff I read, especially when it's not needed for the story and even more so when it's presented as neutral or positive. Soft jargon is used to obscure what's happening: "bordello" instead of brothel, "women of the bordello" instead of prostitutes, and "caretaker of the bordello" instead of pimp. This is unacceptable to me. The story also makes it clear that sex slavery is going on, and yet it's never portrayed in a negative light. Similarly, slavery in general seems portrayed as positive in this novel, and the main character buys a slave and is his savior. And the issue of weird jargon continues throughout the book. I don't appreciate having to look up words in a fiction book, as an educated adult. The age rating is 13 and up, and I strongly disagree, both because of the difficult words and the content (slavery, prostitution). I don't know if it was better in Japanese, but it's pretty clear that the translator is not a native American English speaker. They said "tri-colored paprika" instead of bell peppers, for example. Many passages were very confusing to read. The entire premise of the book is chemistry, and despite being a chemist, I had a hard time following what was going on. Verb tense kept switching, and the random present tense sentences were very distracting. I do like the story overall, but it would have been so much better with a different translator and without the prostitution.
Moderate: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
blood_lion's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
benediction's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
venerablemonster's review
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
epicfunsize's review
5.0
This book was so comforting to read - most everything is pretty peaceful and low-stakes. That isn't to say it's not engaging - I devoured this book and its charming world. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys slice of life anime.
There were a few points in the book where the phrasing of a sentence was off, or something worded peculiarly. Overall, it does not detract from the book, but it can be a little jarring!
There were a few points in the book where the phrasing of a sentence was off, or something worded peculiarly. Overall, it does not detract from the book, but it can be a little jarring!
56leon's review
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pixelatedlenses's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Slavery
sarahseesthis's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0