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karebic's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cannedbread's review against another edition
4.0
I think I had too high expectations for this book. I thought the Raven was going to be like the equivalent of an assassin in western novels. It's more of she can use magic and goes on Scooby Doo chases of finding perpetrators or why a ghost is in a place it shouldn't be. It has some mystery, but I'm not sure if I'll read the next one or not and thus, putting this on the "maybe" shelf.
That said, it's a pretty fun read. Prose reminds me of an English teacher doing her first light novel. Which isn't bad, it's just a bit too clean.
But read this book if you want a different pace in light novels.
That said, it's a pretty fun read. Prose reminds me of an English teacher doing her first light novel. Which isn't bad, it's just a bit too clean.
But read this book if you want a different pace in light novels.
yunoon's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
violetstrawberry's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jale_sellards's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.0
mariellais's review against another edition
4.0
I decided to read this novel because I enjoyed the anime adaptation, but I felt like it was rushed at times and lacking in details. I’m glad to say that the light novel explores more of the world and provides more information that wasn’t included in the anime.
Raven of the Inner Palace originally caught my eye because of the beautiful design of the female main character and the unique setting. The story takes place in a land called Sho, which is based off of Imperial China. This is not a setting that I am used to seeing in Japanese media. I enjoyed how this light novel explored different aspects of the world. The story provided a good amount of details on the world's government, laws, religion, and folklore without feeling bogged down and confused.
Besides the unique setting, the characters are also well fleshed out and charming. Jusetsu - the main character - can be lofty and cold, but she is also kind and caring. I thought the author did an excellent job balancing out her characteristics. Koshun is unemotive and conniving, but he is also extremely caring and supportive. The dynamic that ends up developing between the two felt very realistic and believable. They have similarities in both their personalities and their past experiences that connect them, but also differences that keep their interaction interesting and that lead to some poignant conversations. That being said, this appears to be a slow burn relationship, so don’t go into it expecting a sweeping and dramatic romance from the start.
The prose is stunningly beautiful at times. The way some characteristics and personality traits are described by using nature reminded me of East Asian poetry. There were times I would be reading and would come across one of these descriptions and I would take a moment to pause and appreciate how clever and beautiful it is.
The ghost mysteries are honestly nothing special, but they do manage to keep things interesting.
One major complaint I have is with the translation. I came across a lot of misspellings, grammar errors, and missing words, which is a real shame. There are also no images included in the Kindle version. I'm unsure if there were originally images in this light novel, but I thought that that was one of the defining characteristics of them, so I was dissapointed to not come across any artwork besides the cover image.
If you have watched the anime I highly recommend this light novel. Or if you haven’t seen an anime and just want to read the light novel I would also highly recommend it. It is by far the best light novel I have personally read.
alycat_1996's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
If you enjoyed the anime, you're going to love this expanded version of the story.
blood_lion's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
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