Synopsis

Hugo is stuck in a time loop, forced to relive the same life up until the moment he is slain by one of his own relatives. But, after swearing revenge on his murderous family during his seventh reset, he meets a beautiful girl. According to rumor, this girl is a monster in human flesh, but he agrees to become her servant all the same. The birth of their partnership heralds an intertwining of fates, and Hugo’s life will never be the same again… (Source: Yen Press)

A Twisted Tale of Love and Revenge!

Written by Sammbon and illustrated by Nama2e, In My Seventh Life, I Met a Monster Princess is the latest in a long line of new titles brought to the West by Yen Press.

A story of love and revenge, it centres around the lives and misfortunes of Hugo, the eldest son of Count Grenville. His is not a happy life, or should it be lives, as he has relived his short existence six times already, forced to endure a barrage of abuse and psychological torture at the hands of his father and family. At the end of his rope, he swears his seventh life will be better. Aiming for revenge against those who wronged him, things are looking on the up and up when he gains an unexpected ally in the form of an archduke’s daughter, known to everyone as a monster.

Sammbon’s dark fantasy intertwining romance and revenge is as close to wish fulfilment as it gets. It’s a light novel series that can best be described as the literary equivalent of junk food, focusing on catharsis and cuteness rather than anything of deeper substance. Sometimes junk food can be great for filling a hole, and on this occasion, this series seems to have also done the trick.

In line with its primary motivators, most of the volume is spent with the two protagonists and lovers, Hugo and Melza. Both come from similar settings of ostracisation, save for the single difference of Melza’s supportive grandfather. Their similar backgrounds lead them to become close quickly, falling deeply for each other from their first meeting. Their romance follows a cute and fluffy recipe recently made popular, which comes across as a rather crude juxtaposition of the series’ dark fantasy setting.

As for Hugo’s revenge, the majority of the main plot focuses on the planning stages of his scheme. While Hugo investigates each wrongdoer, in turn, they are given an introduction and a short segment on their actions. Given the nature of the series, there isn’t too much to expect from the gaggle of puppy killers, with only the character of the second prince showing any potential for being a thorn in Hugo’s side as his plans heat up. Unfortunately, this may never come to pass, given the novel is a one-shot.

Overall, In My Seventh Life, I Met a Monster Princess’s first instalment is the type of series that makes for a good read once in a while. Much like McDonald’s or any other fast food establishment, these series are great as a treat, but too many are bad for your health.

I Give In My Seventh Life Volume 1: 6/10