What novel(s) have you read this week, and what do you think about it? [Week 34]

Vacation and BG3 happened so I read very little again those last 3 weeks but I got a little bit of reading time in anyway (usually I take some notes after finishing a book and give it a rating but I didn't this time so I'll just write what I remember):

• A Cave King’s Road to Paradise: Climbing to the Top with My Almighty Mining Skills! Volume 2: It's mindless but entertaining. I dislike that whenever there is a problem, the solution to it just so happens to pop up 2 paragraphs later. Every. Single. Time.

• Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would Be Monsters! Volume 1: New series. I really liked the first volume and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one. Very promising.

• Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want! Volume 4: Still an entertaining series. The addition of the two new cast members gives the story a nice new chemistry.

Hell Mode volumes 1-3

Protagonist is obsessed with difficult video games. He's reincarnated into another world where he is the only person in "Hell Mode", whereby it becomes 100x more difficult for him to level up - but in exchange there's no limit to his growth, and he's granted the unique class of Summoner.

I put off this series for a while because I figured the protagonist would annoy me. And he does, especially in volume 1 where he keeps poking fun at LN tropes or explaining how his pro gamer skills mean he's perfectly equipped for a given situation. (And for many other reasons in later volumes)

Still, protagonist aside I am enjoying the series overall. It's your usual fantasy world of monsters and magic, guilds and classes, a demon lord to defeat, etc. Nothing particularly stand-out, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

So, I hope that WNs are also appropriate to be included here as I tend to read WNs more than LNs, but here are a couple I have been catching up on recently in no particular order.

• The Eminence in Shadow: This is the only actual LN on the list (I even have physical copies!) I have been rereading these in preparation for season 2 of the anime coming in October. Based on the pacing of season 1 (20 episodes covering 2 volumes), then the 12-episode season 2 will likely just cover volume 3 with maybe some extra content or expanded fights. They did a great job with anime-only additions in season 1 and several Easter eggs for fans of the original WN in it (that was later changed/removed from the LNs), so I am optimistic for season 2. You can tell that the crew really "gets" the story and has an appreciation for the source material.
• A Demon Lord’s Tale: Dungeons, Monster Girls, and Heartwarming Bliss: I am not fully caught up on this one, but am a bit past chapter 400. This is one of my favorite recent series and a great entry in the trashy isekai WN genre. I think what makes this one a bit more tolerable than other series where the MC develops a harem is that the romance between the two lead characters (Yuki and Lefi) is really well done. Good action in this one but also a good mix of wholesome family moments SOL style.
• Konjiki no Moji Tsukai: I believe that I am fully caught up to what has been translated for this WN and I have really enjoyed it. I don't really foresee any further updates to this series, so it might be one I have to pick up official translations at some point in the future (if they exist, I am not sure) or wait for the manga to catch up to the WN.
• Level 99 Villainous Daughter: This has been a fun story that features a FMC that is a mix between Bakarina and your typical OP protagonist. It results in a pretty funny story overall that is satisfying. I dropped it shortly after it felt like it reached a good conclusion, but then decided to expand the scope of the story with new Gods and worlds that I felt wasn't needed. The story reached a natural conclusion with a satisfying romance and everybody lived happily ever after (in my head).

Torture Princess vol. 3

• I can't get enough of this. It's beautifully written, the violence and gore is described in a perfect way.
• the personal relationships seem to be very deep and feel real somehow. -Very stoked to see what Elizabeth will do now. How this will affect their lives.
• 4th volume should arrive in the mail today. But it seems to be very difficult to get your hands on some volumes. Hope I'll find the rest soon.

Spider vol. 16

• This is a difficult one to describe.
• I enjoyed it, even the ending. I think the ide behind it was sound. But the was too little time spent on White, the protagonist. Seeing the others fight a basically meaninglessness battle was nice, but not nice enogh. Would have rather they spent less pages there and more on whites fight, especially the last one. Felt a bit like you asked chatgpt to summarize the original 60-Pags Script

I still love this series, it got me into Light novels. The concept of the ending was good, which for me is better than the concept being bad with a decent/good execution.

I want to see spidergirl become a very strong God

I wanna see her suffering under the training of D.

I want to read more of her stupid and awkward monologues.

I'd love to see her struggling again, like at the start of the serie in the labyrinth. Just on a different scale now, with her being a weak god and the others preying on her.

I want more kumoko