Hello reader, I’m back again to do another monthly (although this one is bi-monthly!) pick for my favourite new light novel license over the month, or in this case two months.
I should probably begin by explaining why I originally missed out on a monthly top pick for March and the answer is quite simple, there just simply wasn’t enough new series that I was interested in that month to make a top pick truly fair, so instead I’ve decided to roll it forward to make the top pick for two months.
Luckily for me, April was much more bountiful in its light novel gifts. There were several potential candidates that I could’ve picked as my favourite new series of these months. We had a hilarious series about a shut-in vampire, a revolution in both magic and love, and even a villainess who’d turned things around to become a saviour. However, there was one series to me that just piped the others to the post, one that still has me guessing as to where it’s headed next, The Holy Grail of Eris.
Synopsis:
Never neglect to read the fine print
As a viscount’s daughter, Constance Grail is an ordinary girl whose only notable trait is sincerity, leaving her with no real options when someone steals her fiancé and falsely accuses her of petty theft at a ball. While Connie awaits her undeserved punishment, a ghost appears to offer a bargain. The spirit is none other than Scarlett Castiel, a noblewoman once praised for her beauty, lineage, and undeniable charisma—and executed some ten years earlier for her wicked deeds. When Connie accepts this proposal, she is possessed by the infamous spirit who instantly turns the tide on her tormenter, thus saving the hapless girl from her miserable fate. It’s never wise striking a deal without knowing exactly what you’ve committed to, though…or you might find yourself bound to a ghost dead set on revenge against her own enemies! (Source: Yen Press)
I absolutely adore this series, with a steadily increasing number of licenses coming under the villainess banner this series feels like a breath of fresh air. Whilst keeping some of the tropes that makes the villainess genre so fun, the series adds some wonderful twists to take the series to the next level as it focuses on mysterious deaths, secret societies and conspiracies.
The first volume does well to set the scene, building up multiple plotlines and avenues of possibility when it comes to the mystery at large and potential suspects. Small things are revealed throughout the volume for the reader to start putting things together, however, with three volumes left the author certainly has a lot left in the bag in terms of characters and potential twists and turns.
On top of a great story, the author also has a knack for writing interesting characters. As the volume develops, each of the main cast develops from their original starting point, I especially like Connie’s development in the novel as she noticeably grows in confidence with each passing event growing strong enough to confront some of the most powerful members of noble society. Scarlett also gets some nice development and comes to a more understanding angle softening her villainess ways.
Overall, The Holy Grail of Eris is an excellent twist on the villainess genre that combines a great plot, great twists and excellent character writing that’ll keep you hooked through the novel and will only leave you saddened by the fact that you’ll have to wait a couple of months for the next volume.
I hope you enjoyed my review and would love to see what you thought of the volume in the comments! If you want to read my original review, you can check it out here!
You can buy the first volume of the series both digitally and physically from the distributors listed on the Yen Press website.
Now time for the announcement that I promised in the title of the article. Hopefully, within the next couple of weeks, I’ll also be starting reviews of my other greatest passion, Doctor Who. I plan to do these reviews when the number of light novels I want to read is a bit thin on the ground and I’ll mostly be looking at reviewing Big Finish audio stories. I have a mixture of both new releases and older stories to choose from, ranging from several different doctors, so I hope you’ll enjoy them.
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