Manga the Week of 11/22/23

SEAN: Duck or bump, folks. No debuts for Yen On, but a lot of ongoing titles. We see 86 ~Eighty-Six~ 12, Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle 5, The Misfit of Demon King Academy 2 (in their J-Novel Club print series), The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?) 11, Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway 5, High School DxD 12,…

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Book Review: ‘The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt’ #7

The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 7 by Toru Toba My rating: 5 of 5 stars For the first time in a long time, nobody wants Wein Salema Arbalest hanging around. Everybody knows the eastern half of the Varno Continent is in chaos, having neared three full years without consensus emperorship. Everybody knows the three major factions, guided by the three crown princes, each possess its own strengths (Demetrio, the eldest, holds sway with traditionalists; Bardloche, stubborn, oversees the military; Manfred, youngest and silver-tongued, is the face of nouveau riche). The Earthworld Empire is in chaos, and this chaos has its known variables. So why in the heck is Wein sitting in a strategy meeting among the princes in a city outside the imperial capital? GENIUS PRINCE . . . #7 is an excellent blend of military schema, good old fashioned castle politics, and brazen inter-territorial statecraft. This is the type of story most readers of the novel series fell in love with at the onset and have thus craved ever since. Wein finds his delegation ensnared in Lowellmeina's multifaceted trap. Will he aide one of her troubled (incompetent) brothers' ascent to the throne? Will he draft the blueprint for their downfall? Will he assume responsibility for his role in either destinies? Lowa may have set things in motion by encouraging Wein to visit the Earthworld Empire during such a tumultuous event, but the young woman doesn't quite realize how capricious of a variable she's thrown into play. Because, in truth, due to past and recent events, everyone worth their salt absolutely and resolutely fears the crown prince of Natra. Wein's reputation precedes him. He's intelligent and resourceful, yes. But he's also unquestionably ruthless. He doesn't hesitate to draw his blade. And he manifests escape routes for every scenario not because he knows he'll need it, but because he's clever enough to know the number of ways everyone else's plans tend to go to crap. So, Demetrio, Bardloche, and Manfred bicker to the brink of civil war. Lowa rides the waves of domestic uncertainty to raise her profile. And Wein is forced into position as an unwitting arbiter and dealmaker. This is the stage for GENIUS PRINCE . . . #7. Wein knows he's in a tough spot, but his navigation of difficulty isn't what marks this novel as particularly brilliant. What's fascinating is how everyone else acts or reacts to the mere knowledge that Wein is in the next tent over, strategizing away. Glen Markham, devoted to Demetrio, is an old friend. He thinks he knows Wein well enough to sniff out the man's multi-front distractions. But can Glen convince others he's on the right trail? Strang Nanos, devoted to Manfred, is another old friend. He's confident he can hit Wein's flank before Wein himself can outflank their forces. But will thinking two or three steps ahead be sufficient? This novel privileges the strategy and tactics that make Wein the exceptionally arrogant and exceptionally capable ruler he is. He's often caught off guard, but he readily adapts. He accepts that others know and fear him, but he manipulates them because of it. He's careful with his language and compassionate with his rhetoric, but unyielding with his intentions. Wein doesn't care who becomes the next emperor of the Earthworld Empire. He's fighting for Natra. He's fighting for himself. But if he loses? Well, then everyone should anticipate that it won't be a single army, or a random holy site, that will burn to the ground. Everyone, indeed, absolutely everyone, will succumb to the flames of his sympathy.

Light-Novel Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

Book Review #1

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“ ‘Dirt-poor’ is an exaggeration… We simply have severe shortages of labor, resources, and capital. That’s all.” —Aide Ninym Ralei (pg. 5)

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Title: The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt: Hey, How About Treason? Vol. 1

Author: Toru Toba-sensei

Illustrator: Falmaro-san

Translator: Ms. Jessica Lange

Type of Book: Light Novel (LN), translated from JPN to ENG

Summary: It ain’t easy being a Genius… Prince Wein is ready to commit treason. And who can blame him? Faced with the impossible task of ruling his pathetic little Kingdom, this poor guy just can’t catch a break! But with his brilliant idea of auctioning off his Country, this lazy Prince should be able to retire once and for all. Or that was the plan… until his treacherous schemes lead to disastrous consequences—namely, accidental victories and the favour of his people!

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“What was he thinking? What kind of brilliance flickered behind those cold eyes?” —Ambassador Fyshe Blundell (pg. 31)

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Date Started: January 7th, 2022

Date Finished: January 11th, 2022*

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“You’re not suggesting we write Here lies some idiot who died in the Wasteland on their graves—are you?” —Prince Wein Salema Arbalest (pg. 104)

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Ratings:

Overall: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Comedy/Humour: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Characters: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Development of Plot: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

World Setting: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

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“Ninym is my Heart” —Prince Wein Salema Arbalest (pg. 106)

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Review: As this is the fist book in the series there are equal amounts of room for development of the plot and anticipation of what further volumes would create. I already love the fact that this takes in a Fantasy/Historical-like setting (I am a sucker for this genre currently) and how the opening of the story wasn’t all that cringe… Regardless of it being a LN, The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt: Hey, How About Treason? is an easy and fun read. The protagonist, Wein Salema Arbalest, and his aide, Ninym Ralei, are the cliche duo of childhood friends that harbour feelings for the other that you would find in almost any type of romcom. Luckily for me, the LN does not focus much on romance than Prince Wein’s dilemma on how to pawn off his own Kingdom for an early retirement. Another reason to love the characters that are individually introduced in each chapter is that they either are a relatable bunch or they’re there for a comedic stand-in. Like Raklum, a Commander appointed by Prince Wein himself, who is introduced as this large, bulky man who has a timid personality and yet on the battlefield he would comically go berserk, so far. Another reason that this book has put a smile on my face more than once is the contrast in thoughts that are visible to the reader, you can clearly see how Prince Wein thinks and then how the thoughts of his men would think. I admit, The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt: Hey, How About Treason? is creatively written with priority given to humour above any other genre (this does not mean that anything else is less than humour, they just haven’t fleshed out in Volume 1). It’s hard not to anticipate what future books will convey, and this book is no less of that expectation. I look forward to its future reads in this series.

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*This is an estimate as I do not remember the exact date I had finished reading the LN.

Reader’s Corner: Silver Spoon, Solo Leveling, and the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Solo Leveling, Vol. 1 (novel)

The immensely popular webtoon, Solo Leveling, features a basic premise about a young man rising from the lowest of ranks of “hunting” to become incredibly strong. It’s most appreciated for its art, so the question is, if the story is mundane, does it’s forerunner, which lacks any illustrations, hold up? It does—surprisingly well. Volume one of Chugong’s novel series, originally published on the web and now being released by Yen Press, traces the story of Level-E ranked hunter, Jin-Woo, in mesmerizing detail as he “levels up” following an experience that should have lead to his demise. That opening is only one of a number of violent but engaging episodes in the novel, which also relies heavily on descriptions of game-like mechanics. As the rare anime fan that isn’t a gamer, my eyes usually glaze over such details, but Chugong’s vivid but spare descriptions kept me engaged, as the protagonist moves quickly along his journey, which still, is well structured, even if his characterization if less developed. That’s both a flaw of the series and a point of question: Is Jin-woo’s desire for “Money, honor, and power” meant to be admired, glossed over, or criticized? I’m not yet sure, and I wonder if Jin-Woo’s moral development will become a significant part of the story beneath the well-crafted verneer of fighting and powering up, which as imaginative as it is, can’t very well carry an entire series—can it? ~ Twwk

Solo Leveling is published by Yen Press, which provided a review copy.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project, Vol. 18

I did it (insert GIF of everyone applauding Shinji here). I finally finished reading Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project. And let me tell you something about it: While there are science fiction undertones and references to the original series throughout that give you genuine laughs, by the end, the series is primarily just an ecchi teen romantic comedy with Evangelion characters as window dressing. Every chapter is an opportunity for Shinji to mistakenly trip, fall, and accidentally grope a girl. Every other chapter, by the end, sees a character with exposed breasts—sometimes because of said clusiness, sometimes because the mangaka just decides to draw an extended group bathing scene. This volume gives the final actual reference to an Evangelion, but once again, there’s no actual use of it. This alternate Eva-verse is, in the end, a school harem romance and not a science fiction epic that discusses about real issues like depression. For some, that’s fine. For others, the blatant fanservice will be too much. For me, I am still so very struck by how out of character both Shinji and Gendo act in this series when compared to the original . I guess Yui Ikari being alive really made a huge difference! ~ MDMRN

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project, Vol. 18 is published by Dark Horse Comics.

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

First released in the U.S. eleven years ago, and originally published in 2004, Yen Press has rereleased The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (along with all the others) to coincide with the new Haruhi Suzumiya light novel. After all this time, it holds up surprisingly well, and in fact perhaps takes on more meaning now in the booming light novel industry as a series that—as with the anime—inspired so many of today’s writers. A quick read—it tells just one longer tale instead of several shorter one, coming in at under 200 pages—every sentence is meaningful, every chapter tightly structured, and every emotion hits with precision and sharpness as the series at once returns to an older act, takes the story to new places (and new heights), and brings in questions from the future as Kyon wakes to discover that the SOS Brigade has disbanded, no one has ever hear of a Haruhi Suzumiya, and Asahina and Nagato no longer have their peculiar powers. The volume works so well because it depends on those preceding it, not only for it’s “return to the past” plot but also as it ramps up the nostalgia and emotions in both Kyon and the reader. Everything is predicated on how the reader feels about these characters, leading to a tale that’s simultaneously a love fest for the series and one that is satisfying in its own right. Disappearance proves to be, much like its characters, a light novel that surely is timeless. ~ Twwk

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is published by Yen Press, which provided a review copy.

The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 1

What we have with this mouthful of a title is a more comedic (and non-isekai) take on the kingdom-running light novel. Prince Wein is appointed regent to run the country of Natra in place of his ailing father, but given how terrible the state of his nation is in financially, he would much rather just sell the country off and run away. Yeah, he’s lazy and a coward. The problem is, he’s also a bit too smart for his own good, and plans that he intend to go towards relieving his workload and avoiding confrontation only make people believe he can totally win wars and bring the country back to greatness. (It helps that the countries trying to deal with Natra have issues of their own…) The result is an amusing read as I had fun seeing Wein pull out plans that work a bit too well and have him suffering from success. I also liked how his relationship with Ninym, his childhood friend and primary aide, is framed in the story both as a teammate that Wein relies on to help run the country, and also a close companion (and love interest) whom he banters with but also trusts deeply and does not tolerate any insults toward her from others. Overall I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this series and how Wein will continue to help his country more than he might want to. ~ stardf29

The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 1 is available from Yen Press.

Dragon Head

Dragon Head was a horror manga series I picked up last year from a Kodansha Halloween Humble Bundle. Let me tell you—it is dark, earning its way into that genre heading. The first volume begins with three teenagers trying to survive in an underground subway tunnel after an earthquake event caused its collapse. As the story progresses, and effects on the surface world around them are revealed, the characters discover that the earthquake was no isolated incident but something that struck all of Japan. It is gritty and violent at times. Yet, the overall story and a desire to see how these characters survive kept me reading page after page. I finished the entire 10 volume series in about three days time as I had a hard time putting it down. The ending is is a hard one, and perhaps very fitting for this work, leading readers to consider how widespread the problems that struck and set the events of the series really are. Psychological horror indeed. ~ MDMRN

Dragon Head is published by Kodansha.

Silver Spoon, Vol. 1

With Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood continuing its tear through our annual AniMarch Madness tournament, I turn my attention to the other now-classic work from mangaka Hiromu Arakawa. Silver Spoon, which ended its run in 2019, is a fish out of water tale featuring high school freshman Hachiken, an academic-focused city boy who decides to attend an agricultural high school in Hokkaido. Volume one has fun with his inability to get used to farm life, though it also sensitively looks at his reasons for choosing this high school while showing that even early on, Hachiken is growing, such as when he condescends horses only to be taught how the majestic animals can show the rider a different perspective on life. It doesn’t take long for readers to grow attached to the series characters, like Aikawa, who is the determined to overcome his sensitivity to blood and death to become a veterinarian, and Nishikawa, who loves tractors and mecha. But most of all, Hachiken makes for a compelling character. Like Edward from FMA, Hachiken is easily frustrated but kind and open; it’s lovely to see him already developing among friends so different from what he’s used to, even while seeing him frequently fall (and slowly get back up)—a source of laughter page after page in this wonderful introductory volume. ~ Twwk

Silver Spoon, Vol. 1 is published by Yen Press, which provided a review copy.

Schemers Gather in Key Visual for The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt TV Anime

  A new key visual, new cast members, the OP / ED theme song performers, and the Japanese TV schedule have all been revealed for The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (known in Japan as Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu, or "Tensai Ouji" for short), an upcoming TV anime based on the light novel series written by Toru Toba and illustrated by Falmaro about a young noble who seeks to shirk his responsibilities at every opportunity.

    The cast members include (pictured above from left to right and top to bottom):

  Takayuki Sugō as Hagar.

Daiki Hamano as Lachram.

Akio Ōtsuka as Gruer.

Rie Kugimiya as Torcheila.

Mamiko Noto as Gardmeria.

Ryuichi Kijima as Deuterio.

Kenichiro Matsuda as Bartholorush.

And Kongo Kawanishi as Manfred.

  The opening theme for the series is performed by Nagi Yanagi x THE SIXTH LIE, while the ending theme for the series is performed by Yoshino Nanjō.

    The original The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?) light novels are published in Japan by SB Creative under their GA Bunko imprint, and an English language version of the series is also available from Yen Press, who describe the story of the series as follows:

  It ain't easy being a genius...

  Prince Wein is ready to commit treason. And who can blame him? Faced with the impossible task of ruling his pathetic little kingdom, this poor guy just can't catch a break! But with his brilliant idea of auctioning off his country, this lazy prince should be able to retire once and for all. Or that was the plan...until his treasonous schemes lead to disastrous consequences-namely, accidental victories and the favor of his people!

    The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt is directed by Masato Tamagawa and features animation production by Yokohama Animation Laboratory. The series will broadcast in Japan according to the following TV schedule:

  TOKYO MX: every Tuesday during the 23:00 time slot beginning on January 11, 2022.

BS NTV: every Tuesday during the 24:00 time slot beginning on January 11, 2022.

AT-X: every Tuesday during the 22:30 time slot beginning on January 11, 2022.

  Source: Ota-suke

  Copyright notice: © Toru Toba・SB Creative / Tensai Ouji Production Committee

    ---

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

By: Paul Chapman

The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt: l’anime andrà in onda da gennaio, online un nuovo video promo

Svelati altri tre membri del cast della commedia fantasy.

Pubblicato un video promozionale di “The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?)” (Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu: Souda, Baikoku shiyou), la serie animata prodotta dallo studio YOKOHAMA ANIMATION LAB (Lapis Re:LiGHTs, Magatsu Wahrheit: Zuerst), basata sull’omonima commedia fantasy nata dalla penna di Tooru Toba, che verrà trasmessa tv giapponesi a partire da gennaio 2022.

Assieme al trailer è stata rivelata anche una nuova locandina ufficiale.

Inoltre, al cast già annunciato si vanno ad aggiungere:

Fisch Brandel: Yoko Hikasa (Rias Gremory in High School DxD)

Nanaki Ralei: Yuki Sakakihara (Tazawa in Sonny Boy)

Zeno: Yuki Nakashima (Lisa Imai in BanG Dream!)

Per quanto riguarda lo staff, l’adattamento è diretto da Makoto Tamagawa (Saint Seiya: Saintia Sho), con l’assistenza da parte Xin Ya Cai. La sceneggiatura sta venendo curata da Deko Akao (Noragami, OshiBudo), mentre il character design è ad opera di Ryunosuke Oji. La colonna sonora è invece composta da Toshihiko Sahashi (Full Metal Panic!).

Il principe di questo piccolo e debole regno aspira ad una sola cosa: vendere il proprio paese e vivere una vita tranquilla e agiata nell’ozio più totale! Purtroppo, il più grande ostacolo che si trova ad affrontare è il suo stesso genio! Man mano che raggiunge risultati sempre maggiori, guadagna sempre di più il favore del popolo… il che rende la realizzazione dei suoi sogni ancora più difficile!

La light novel viene pubblicata dal 2018 con le illustrazioni di Fal Maro e attualmente conta nove volumi in vendita in Giappone. Nel 2019, l’opera si è piazzata quarta nella categoria Novità della classifica stilata da Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi. Dallo scorso ottobre ne viene serializzata anche una versione manga, disegnata da Emuda, giunta al momento al quarto volumetto.

* NON VUOI PERDERTI NEANCHE UN POST? ENTRA NEL CANALE TELEGRAM! *

Autore: SilenziO)))

[FONTE]

The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 1 story by Toru Toba, art by Fal_maro 

Rated Top 3 in BookWalker's Next Big Light Novel Hit 2019 poll, read the new light novel today!

Primer avance del anime The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt

Primer avance del anime The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt #anime #otaku #blog #noticias #news #series #marzo -

Una reciente actualización publicada en el sitio web para la adaptación animada de la novela Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu – Sou da, Baikoku Shiyo (The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt – Hey, How About Treason?) de Toru Toba ha presentado su primer video promocional, en el podemos ver las primeras secuencias del proyecto y nos revelan que el estudio Yokohama…

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'The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt' Anime Casts Rie Takahashi - News

‘The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt’ Anime Casts Rie Takahashi – News

Takahashi plays Prince Wein’s childhood friend, top aide Ninym The official website for the television anime of Toru Toba‘s The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?) (Tensai Ōji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu – Sō da, Baikoku Shiyō) light novel series announced the second cast member on Wednesday. Rie Takahashi voices Ninym Ralei, a beautiful white-haired,…

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TV anime adaptation for light novel „The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?)“ Key visual https://ift.tt/39AE6OV

Prince of Genius Rise Worst Kingdom ~Yes, Treason It Will Do~.

Alternative : The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt,天才王子の赤字国家再生術 ～そうだ、売国しよう～,天才王子的赤字国家振兴术,The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?),Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu - Souda, Baikoku Shiyou,YES, treason it will do: Prince of genius rise worst kingdom,Souda, Baikoku Shiyou: Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saisei Jutsu

Prince of Genius Rise Worst Kingdom ~Yes, Treason It Will Do~ summary: The prince of this small and weak kingdom strives for only one thing: selling out his country and living a quiet life in leisure! Sadly, the greatest obstacle he will ever face is his own genius...! As he achieves ever greater accomplishments, he earns more and more favor with the people of his kingdom...which makes fulfilling his own dreams all the harder!!!<br> #MangaFeeds.com, #ReadFreeMangaOnline MangaFeeds.Com: Read manga online the latest manga comic book, updated daily: https://mangafeeds.com/post/prince-of-genius-rise-worst-kingdom-yes-treason-it-will-do_1576900031

Read more.

It was easy to run a kingdom to ruin, but hard work to get it to flourish.

"Wein Salema Arbalest" (The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt Hey Now How About Treason, by Toru Toba and falmaro)

just finished reading my first LN, “The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt: Hey, How About Treason?”

Thoroughly mediocre. Aside from the ham-fisted exposition at the beginning and how it reads like a screenplay for a shitty isekai anime, it just lacks any depth. In the afterward, the author says the theme of the book is “governance,” but I doubt that the author really knows what governance means. The book is about some teenage prince who’s a god damn genius but is lazy and wants to have his kingdom join the neighboring empire since he sees their conquest as the only alternative. While the worldbuilding is generally lacking - there’s some weird racism thing going on that isn’t explained, and there’s an “East vs. West” politico-cultural dichotomy that is regularly remarked upon but the cultures are never described (at all) so the reader has no idea how the cultures are actually different, or why they hate each other (there’s a mention of religion but no details are given).

The one thing this book has going for it is that the geopolitics make sense. There’s no map given, but the descriptions of the geography are decent enough to convey the strategic value of the kingdom the story takes place in and how it, despite its small size, is caught up as a key element of wider geopolitics. There’s also some vague hinting at the neighboring country getting stuck with the resource curse, but I doubt that was intentional.

The characters are pretty bland and one-note as well. The only interesting one is the Imperial ambassador, a hot blonde with large breasts (which the MC regularly compares to the bust of his companion, a white-haired, red-eyed girl), but she hardly gets any time in the novel as the second half is concerned with a war, mostly the happenings of a single battle. The third girl to round out the harem is the MC’s little sister, who features a total of two times and is only brought in so the reader is aware that he *has* a little sister - who competes for attention with the main girl.

Back to the governance thing. This book isn’t about running a government so much as it’s about how all of the MC’s plans go awry in the best possible way. He actively tries to rid himself of his office but everything he does ends up strengthening his state and his position within in. It’s honestly kind of annoying, and there are few true “twists” in the story as the nature of the book is to have everything turn out in the hero’s favor despite his own efforts.

This book would probably make a lot of money if it was given an anime adaptation. That’s not a good thing. The politics has promise but whenever it seems like it’s about to get good and in-depth, someone makes a boob joke or something else equally stupid and/or rediculous happens.

5/10, most of those points come from believable geopolitics.

Book Review: ‘The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt’ #9

The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 9 by Toru Toba My rating: 4 of 5 stars Here's an idea: Invite the most notoriously pragmatic, infamously shrewd, and dangerously intelligent nobleman on the continent to a gathering of backwoods' statesmen and use him for personal gain. What could possibly go wrong? A lot. Obviously. But for the middling, inexperienced politicians of the Ulbeth Alliance, which is located in the far west of the Varno Continent, the opportunity to wield Prince Wein as a tool to pry apart domestic relations is irresistible. Whether through crass manipulation, deliberately invoking chaos, or the usual inter-party shenanigans native to arrogant squabbles for power, politicians will do what politicians have always done: deceive, bicker, exploit, complain, and betray. Good thing the Crown Prince of Natra's seen it all before. In GENIUS PRINCE . . . v9, Prince Wein and his delegation spend a week in the Ulbeth Alliance at the behest of Agata Willow, a Holy Elite and the representative of one of the four city-states that comprise the alliance. How willing is Wein to either harmonizing or upending the alliance's forthcoming Signing Ceremony (a decennial ratification of the alliance)? After all, a stable alliance would mean profitable trade for Natra. Too bad the representatives attending the ceremony, and then some, have their own plans for the future of the alliance. The curious, if obvious challenge set before Wein is that Agata's quest to consolidate authority within the Ulbeth Alliance is sketchy at best. Agata is a tenacious ruler. He's also getting way too old for the bedeviling arrogance that presently binds the wrists of his city-state. He's an interesting character with a modest, though perhaps not enough presence on the page. All the more reason to delve into the man's reason to firm up the alliance, quash his rivals in the other city-states, and modernize the Ulbeth Alliance into a stronger, more respectable country. This novel is an ongoing what-if scenario. Wein's obligation to help Agata is only as strong as he desires. He could, just as easily, shift his favoritism to Oleom, representative of Great Blue Skies of Roynock (port city-state), or to Lejoutte, representative of Grand Red Harvest of Facrita (farmland city-state). Wein has his pick of potential allies. But such luxuries possess an undeniable truth: Wein also has his pick of would-be backstabbers. And as GENIUS PRINCE . . . v9 continues, readers encounter the delightful treat of Wein constantly schooling the locals in what true statecraft looks like. Wein deliberately helps, deliberately obfuscates, and deliberately mixes up everyone's view of the puzzle pieces that might constitute authority within the Ulbeth Alliance. Inter-party marriage? Inter-city trade? Cascading political scandals? These people thought they could spellbind Wein into doing what they wanted. They messed with the wrong dude. GENIUS PRINCE . . . v9 is a fun adventure with relatively low stakes. This novel was clearly designed to ease up on the more perilous inclinations of the continent's detestable figures in favor of a cavalcade of helpless, awkward politicians. The Ulbeth Alliance's reputation as bitter, inward-looking, and nurturing excess religiosity does its residents no favors. But the alliance's next generation of rulers, plus Wein's governance flexibility, offers readers a glimpse into a confederacy of fools on the cusp of critical thinking (Wein: "No one political system is 'correct.' What matters is how people benefit from it. Who cares if the government is 'on your side' if everyone starves to death? Do whatever works," page 12). The book's only substantive dive into the darker alleyways of nation-state trickery concerns the author's long-awaited explanation of the history of the Flahm. Discussed at varying points in the novel from the perspectives of Wein, Falanya and Nanaki, and Ninym, the tale of the subjugation, rise, and fall of the Flahm people is sad, pitiable, and stomach-turning. It is little wonder why Wein is so intensely protective of "his heart," Ninym, and so earnest in doing well by her people. And it is with this in mind, it is also little wonder why Wein is so willing to interfere in the affairs of the Ulbeth Alliance, a surveillance society whose citizens ignorance is their only source of pride (Kamil, political aide to Agata, on the alliance: "Tell them the foolish, illogical people of a senseless land were destroyed by their own folly," page 119).

Light-Novel Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads