Making Magic: Vol 1 to 3 - I am really enjoying this series. It has wholesome, cute vibes. There are also some kingdom building/ecological reclamation aspects that were interesting, but only really get focused on in the third volume. The third volume also has an interesting mother/daughter relationship which I don’t see written in light novels as often.
Two problems I have with it is that there is a lack of a strong central conflict/through-line. Although, a lot of light novels suffer from this due to it being a serial medium. Technically reclaiming a large wasteland is the through-line, but the sub-conflicts of each book rarely tie into that conflict. The other problem is that this is one of those, “why is this an isekai?” stories. The character’s memories are wiped after reincarnation, so there isn’t any character implication for having come from modern day japan. There is some plot/worldbuilding justification for it, but the author could have easily written a similar plot without invoking reincarnation.
Overall I recommend if you’re looking for a fun, cheerful read with some action.
Only the Villainous Lord Wields the Power to Level Up: Vol 1 to 3: - A series I liked more than I thought I would. Based on the title, I thought it would be more of a generic power fantasy system/lit-rpg type story, but actually has some interesting kingdom building aspects. It is still a power fantasy, but I get the impression that the author has considered the relevant power levels. While the main character is OP, there are still legitimate threats to him in the world. One aspect I don’t like is that all characters have a “martial” stat that represents fighting, and a character with a higher martial stat will always beat a character with a lower one. I’d recommend Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World for a story that still has RPG elements, but without the “my number is higher so therefore I win” aspect. I’ll probably continue to read for the politics and kingdom building aspects when I don’t have anything else I’d rather read.
The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows: Vol 1 - Another series in the “restarting my life after being expelled from my party/job” fantasy sub-genre. The protagonist’s earnest desire to help others without being naive made me like him. I plan on reading the next book in the series when it is translated. The harem romance in this book is really forced and unnecessary. That’s coming from someone who will admit to liking harems. Three characters in particular seem to be emotionally and professionally fulfilled, so throwing them at this random guy is unjustified by the character’s emotions. The guy himself seems to have no romantic desire/libido which further adds to the confusion of “why did the author add this to the story”. In story its justified by them being grateful for the healing he does, but gratitude and respect is not the same as romance.
I agree with Making Magic lacking a through line in the form of an overarching plot. I’ve come to think of it as completely separate stories with the little bit of overarching story as just the set dressing / part of the world building instead.
I’m in the mood for some kingdom building (maybe because I’m currently building my personal little kingdom here at the moment) and I’ll put Only the Villainous Lord on my plan to read list.
Making Magic: Vol 1 to 3 - I am really enjoying this series. It has wholesome, cute vibes. There are also some kingdom building/ecological reclamation aspects that were interesting, but only really get focused on in the third volume. The third volume also has an interesting mother/daughter relationship which I don’t see written in light novels as often.
Two problems I have with it is that there is a lack of a strong central conflict/through-line. Although, a lot of light novels suffer from this due to it being a serial medium. Technically reclaiming a large wasteland is the through-line, but the sub-conflicts of each book rarely tie into that conflict. The other problem is that this is one of those, “why is this an isekai?” stories. The character’s memories are wiped after reincarnation, so there isn’t any character implication for having come from modern day japan. There is some plot/worldbuilding justification for it, but the author could have easily written a similar plot without invoking reincarnation.
Overall I recommend if you’re looking for a fun, cheerful read with some action.
Only the Villainous Lord Wields the Power to Level Up: Vol 1 to 3: - A series I liked more than I thought I would. Based on the title, I thought it would be more of a generic power fantasy system/lit-rpg type story, but actually has some interesting kingdom building aspects. It is still a power fantasy, but I get the impression that the author has considered the relevant power levels. While the main character is OP, there are still legitimate threats to him in the world. One aspect I don’t like is that all characters have a “martial” stat that represents fighting, and a character with a higher martial stat will always beat a character with a lower one. I’d recommend Min-Maxing My TRPG Build in Another World for a story that still has RPG elements, but without the “my number is higher so therefore I win” aspect. I’ll probably continue to read for the politics and kingdom building aspects when I don’t have anything else I’d rather read.
The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows: Vol 1 - Another series in the “restarting my life after being expelled from my party/job” fantasy sub-genre. The protagonist’s earnest desire to help others without being naive made me like him. I plan on reading the next book in the series when it is translated. The harem romance in this book is really forced and unnecessary. That’s coming from someone who will admit to liking harems. Three characters in particular seem to be emotionally and professionally fulfilled, so throwing them at this random guy is unjustified by the character’s emotions. The guy himself seems to have no romantic desire/libido which further adds to the confusion of “why did the author add this to the story”. In story its justified by them being grateful for the healing he does, but gratitude and respect is not the same as romance.
I agree with Making Magic lacking a through line in the form of an overarching plot. I’ve come to think of it as completely separate stories with the little bit of overarching story as just the set dressing / part of the world building instead.
I’m in the mood for some kingdom building (maybe because I’m currently building my personal little kingdom here at the moment) and I’ll put Only the Villainous Lord on my plan to read list.
Finished Making Magic Vol 5 this week.
It is a good Wholesome / Cute story you can just turn your mind off and read.