Today is the 38th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.
I can recommend Serhii Plokhy's masterpiece 'Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy' for a deep and compelling examination of the events of that fateful day.
He explores the background leading up to the meltdown, the consequences - both for Ukrainian people and the fate of the USSR - and the effects on the people involved.
Light Novel Review: I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner.
By Inori
Illustrated by Hanagata
Published: Seven Seas Entertainment
(This review starts by talking about the series and Inori-sense, but I get to this volume by the end.)
Inori-sensei is one of the best authors to be currently writing Yuri. (I would say of queer literature) She is one of us and gets it. This is an author who is humorous at the same time she tackles serious topics. She is one of the few authors that can have me belly-laughing. Her talent doesn’t end there. The story is serious and serious issues are embedded in it. (Economic equality and queer existence.)
Her characters include both out and closeted lesbians, as well as a trans character. She treats these characters with respect and understanding without bludgeoning us with the sad realities many of us face.
You are going to be hearing a lot more about Inori and “I’m in Love with the Villainess” because an anime based on her books is planned for this fall. Inori seems excited about the anime, so I have high hopes that it will be good.
Sensei is very engaged with her readers, including her foreign fans. This is good because foreign fans have been a major driver of her continued success. When her books first appeared, they were only available as ebooks. The West got physical books first.
“I’m in Love with the Villainess” is a must-read for Yuri fans and those interested in queer literature.
What about “She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner.” Like all Inori’s books, it is well written. Both humorous and serious. The book covers the same ground as the first series, but from Clair Francois’s, the villainess’, point of view.
Anyone who has read the first series should love this book. And that is where we get the major problem with “She’s so Cheeky.” While you are meant to be able to read it as a stand-alone series, it fails at that. There is so much material that demands you have read the first series. I can’t imagine reading it without first having read the first series. Which, as I have pointed out, is well worth reading.