By Shinten-Shinchi and Tokima. Released in Japan as “Goblin Reijō to Tensei Kizoku ga Shiawase ni Naru Made: Konyakusha no Tame no Zense Chishiki no Jōzu na Tsukaikata” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Geirrlon Dunn.
So this book, like the first one, is overall a good, solid volume, and I really like some of the character work within, as well as some of the writing choices. Unfortunately, as with the first book, some of the writing choices made me want to claw my hair out. I’ve talked before about a lot of shoujo light novel titles starting with an “eat your vegetables” section, where we have to see the low ebb of our heroine before we get to the good stuff. In this book, the vegetables are the main course, and the middle third of the book is just a never-ending stream of me screaming at the male lead “GODDAMMIT, DO NOT DO THIS, YOU DUMBASS!” Spoiler: he does it. In fact, not really even much of a spoiler, as it’s one of the scenes chosen for color pages. Fortunately, the wraparound makes it worth the slog. Just.
Gino and Ana start off the book blissfully happy. She’s grown more confident thanks to having the love of her fiance. He’s dutifully researching the way to find a cure for her curse. The research leads him to lean more strongly towards this world being his own far in the future, rather than an alternate world. The two of them are even able to watch Gino’s tomboyish and somewhat ditzy sister manage to find the fiance who’s right for her, rather than picking whatever appeals to her at that moment. Unfortunately, a chance conversation with Ana’s father, and Ana trying to avoid offending the royal family in public by giving vague answers, leads Gino and Ana to play “I hate myself” and “no, I hate myself more” for the next 120 pages.
I’m going to ignore everything about Gino breaking up with Ana, torpedoing his reputation, and fleeing to a dive bar, as I never want to think about it again. Instead, let’s talk about the good things, most of which are more character than plot driven. For all that I absolutely hated Gino’s choices, the book is very careful to lay out in great detail why his upbringing in his previous life led him to have the kind of mindset that means this was the first thing that came to mind for him. I also loved the fact that, after six months and much anguish, the two are reunited… and Ana begins seeing a therapist, in order to get help from the mental anguish she’d been in. More light novel therapists, that was great! I also loved the scene of Ana at the singles dance, being very carefully railroaded into becoming the first prince’s concubine and even more carefully managing to get out of it. Yes, a lot of it was her mother’s plan, but it was brilliantly executed.
You may have heard me say this before, but here it is again: this book ends with the second volume, except there’s a third. I don’t know if it will be short stories or if it will continue to try to throw our now newlywed couple into annoying situations (please don’t end with them being the King and Queen, I beg of you). That said, I will grit my teeth and read more, because I do enjoy this series. Except when I don’t.
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