Tags: Action, Fantasy, Drama, Romance

Sub-Tags: War, Strategy, Strong Lead

From Commoner to King!

The Bastard Prince

Following the story of a bastard prince with infinite potential, my latest review looks at The Crown of Rutile Quartz, a novel written by Surume Enoki and illustrated by TTL.

Rutile Quartz focuses on the story of Slaine, a former commoner whose life is turned upside down when the sudden death of the royal family leads to the discovery that he’s the illegitimate son of the king and heir to the throne. Now enveloped in a life completely alien to his own, Slaine’ll have to shape up fast. From a mountain of politics to learn and a host of unsupportive nobles to navigate, there’s much for a king-to-be to master. Even if he manages to make it through, other nations have ambitions with Hasenvalia, ambitions that could quickly put an end to his regency.

Mixing action, politics and romance, the main plot of the series comes in two parts. The first follows Slaine’s studying efforts to become a great leader. The second puts these skills to the test to see whether Slaine can take the right actions to steer his country in the right direction.

What strikes me first about this series as a reader is the author’s command over detail and when to use it. This is most noticeable in the first half of the novel, which can be very information-heavy. The first arc of the volume follows Slaine’s early months as prince, learning all the ins and outs necessary to make a good ruler.

In a new environment filled with people with all manner of motives, the information Slaine learns from Monica and the environment quickly becomes his first source of confidence. From finding his feet at his father’s funeral to declaring Hasenvalia’s fight for survival, we see throughout Slaine transforming from a timid young man into a confident ruler, with every detail of information he learns along the way playing a key role in his ascension. 

A Strategy of Water

The second half of the volume sees Slaine putting his newfound confidence to good use. In the midst of Hasenvalia’s turmoil, the neighbouring empire mounts a surprise invasion, putting Slaine’s regency in danger almost as soon as it began.

In the face of overwhelming odds, with the empire having a larger and better-equipped army, it’s Slaine’s unconventional upbringing and natural leadership that sees their nation come up trumps.

Slaine’s victorious strategy is well-visualised by the author. From Slaine’s out-of-the-box thinking leading to the enemy cavalry’s crash course to Slaine’s “man of the people” approach to gathering more conscripts, they’ve clearly made an effort to make Hasenvalia’s victory over the Empire believable.

Aides and Lovers

The Crown of Rutile Quartz’s first volume isn’t all war and politics. Subtle yet well-written, the series’ romantic subplot deserves to be highlighted. Taking place between Slaine and Monica, their love story serves as a scant moment of tenderness amongst the violence.

Their love grows throughout the volume, from a small flickering ember into a raging torrent. For Slaine, his love for Monica grows due to her voice of constant encouragement in a lonely world where the line between ally and enemy is blurred. For Monica, her love is born to a mismatch in expectations. Expecting nothing but the role of babysitter, she quickly grows affection for Slaine when he shows his ambition, not only for himself but for his people as well. The result is a romance where both characters cherish one another and view each other as equals.  

To conclude, The Crown of Rutile Quartz makes for an excellent addition to the J-Novel Club roster. The series’ first volume has several aspects worth highlighting, including a subtle romantic subplot and well-paced character development that turns its main character from commoner to king.

Detailed and well-visualised, even if this series remains at one volume, Surume Enoki’s creation is a well-balanced mix of politics, war and love.