Synopsis

Eat Or Die!

The first prince of the kingdom of Farune, Mars, is only twelve years old, yet he lives in fear of assassination. In order to avoid the deadly poison in nearly all of his meals, he slips out of the castle into the nearby monster-infested forest, where, battling monsters and his own hunger, he has to hunt for his meals in order to stave off starvation. Then, one night, as he’s searching for his next bite of monster meat, a red-haired woman shouldering a greatsword appears before him and says to him, “You have promise. Become my apprentice.” How is he supposed to tell her that this must be some sort of mistake? But there’s a secret that only she knows, and that he’s stumbled upon: eating monsters makes you stronger! With her training and his newfound power, Mars will finally overcome all those pesky assassination attempts. However, that doesn’t end things; no, it’s only the beginning of a nationwide—even continent-spanning—series of wars and plots with him right in the middle! (Source: Cross Infinite World)

A Monster’s Strength Overcomes All!

Written by Daken and illustrated by Shiba, Cross Infinite World’s latest title, How I Became King by Eating Monsters, shows how survival requires a non-discriminating appetite.

Following the story of Farune’s first prince, Mars, it finds him under the constant threat of death. Enduring endless assassination attempts, his lack of trust in those around him leads him to discover a loophole in getting stronger: eating monster meat. Though foul and poisonous, if consumed in the right order, the meat can bestow its devourer with abilities and skills beyond any normal human. Perfect for anyone looking to survive.

The first volume sets the tone for this series nicely. The first chapter acts as an introduction, setting out Mars’s desperate situation and his overwhelming instinct to survive. It makes clear that Mars’s monstrous snacks came about as a last resort and shows clearly that the young prince has few allies to speak of since the kingdom’s prime minister began accumulating power.

As the first chapter progresses, so too does the story’s genre. With Mars gaining power and allies in unexpected places, the series evolves to reveal that it revolves around misunderstanding tropes. Often used throughout the light novel genre, it is mainly seen as a way to keep the protagonist under the assumption that they are weak when, in reality, they are immensely powerful. By the end of the chapter, this becomes clear as Mars’s perspective on usurping the throne shows he sees it as an act of survival.

This story handles the misunderstanding trope well. In the early stages, the novel keeps the perspective away from Mars and onto several important side characters. As a result, we can see a wider view of Mars’s delusions and a better understanding of the real situation at hand. Moreover, many of the perspectives from different characters can be entertaining, ultimately creating a more engaging story.

The misunderstandings deepen as the volume progresses. The final chapters are dedicated to Mars’s battle to keep his country afloat through a series of battles with neighbouring nations. Not wishing for any of it to happen, these misunderstandings drag him to fight after fight with enemies of ever-increasing strength. With each passing battle, however, the story starts to lose its edge. These back-to-back scenes with constant victories muddy the series’ overall goal of survival, if only slightly.

Overall, How I Became King by Eating Monsters’ opening instalment makes for a strong start to the series. Starting by setting up the series’ tone in the introduction, its strengths keep coming as it moves to showcase the story’s events from different character perspectives. Hopefully, as the series continues, the author will be able to keep up with the trope and switch it up rather than become a one-trick pony.

I Give Eating Monsters Volume 1: 8/10