For the sake of audience and archives, take a look at the reviews I’m publishing on Goodreads. You can follow my profile here: FaclessOneLN

Reincarnated Into a Game as the Hero’s Friend: Running the Kingdom Behind the Scenes (Light Novel) Vol. 1 by Yuki Suzuki

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Written by Yuki Suzuki, Reincarnated Into a Game follows all the hallmarks of a typical modern isekai story. Spinning the tale of the protagonist, Lord Werner, sees him use his memories of the game world to survive as well as knowledge from his former world to stand out and influence events to a brighter future.

Whilst there’s nothing inherently wrong with treading on familiar ground, on this occasion, Suzuki’s foray into the familiar left me out in the cold.

I suspect the reasons why I didn’t warm to Werner’s fantasy journey mainly stem from the author’s tendency to wander. Despite a gift for the descriptive, the author, in this case, tends to focus on the wrong things. More often than not, possible world-building aspects that could help build tension and a sense of scale to the encroaching demon army are left as mere footnotes. Instead, we’re left to explore the “magical” world of nobility and the slight difference between titles in the game world and that of Earth. This unappealing foray also isn’t helped by the fact that the author likes to give this information in blocks, which can really bog down the pace of the plot.

Thankfully, there are themes that stop this series from being a complete disaster. Whilst small, the blossoming romance that begins to develop by the end of the volume shows promise. Their potential relationship has ramifications more widely in bridging the gap between the bureaucratic aristocracy and those who gain valour on the battlefield.

Furthermore, the protagonist’s realisation that his actions change events in the game world has intriguing possibilities. Without foreknowledge of the future, he’ll have to think on his feet to avoid now all too real dangers.

Unfortunately, whilst I didn’t enjoy this novel myself, those who enjoy a lesson in noble society over action may find something to entertain themselves with here.



View all my reviews