Aiko 🍀 Zero reviewed Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 2 (light novel) by Bokuto Uno (Reign of the Seven Spellblades, #2)
Strengthening Bonds and the Madness of Mages
5 stars
(2023/04/07?-2023/04/09, late post)
This volume is pretty packed with plenty of things. Then again, so does volume 1, but I feel this volume is even more jam-packed somehow, even though it doesn't actually progress a lot in the main plot. This volume finally further explored the once-sidelined characters in the main group, especially Pete and Chela, and the strengthening of their bonds as they have an adventure together. They're all very endearing. I especially love Katie's and Guy's rivalry in cooking, out of all things. It also introduced fun and quirky new characters. Some of them have depths already, and although they can be cliché, I enjoyed their moments. My personal favorite is Rossi and I hope to see more of him. You can't just make someone so handsome only to throw him away later! Chela's father also finally appeared and he's hilarious as hell.
On the other side, there …
(2023/04/07?-2023/04/09, late post)
This volume is pretty packed with plenty of things. Then again, so does volume 1, but I feel this volume is even more jam-packed somehow, even though it doesn't actually progress a lot in the main plot. This volume finally further explored the once-sidelined characters in the main group, especially Pete and Chela, and the strengthening of their bonds as they have an adventure together. They're all very endearing. I especially love Katie's and Guy's rivalry in cooking, out of all things. It also introduced fun and quirky new characters. Some of them have depths already, and although they can be cliché, I enjoyed their moments. My personal favorite is Rossi and I hope to see more of him. You can't just make someone so handsome only to throw him away later! Chela's father also finally appeared and he's hilarious as hell.
On the other side, there is a bit more exposition about the the magical society. Very focused on the pursuit of magic, being a reversi - a genderfluid mage - is seen as a great thing, and having romantic relationships with people regardless of their gender is also allowed, so that's pretty progressive of them. I'm a bit surprised by how straightforward and matter-of-factly the story mentions sexual organs as a part of mages, but it's a welcome sight. On the other hand, noble mage families can be pretty harsh or even scary. Although volume 1 touched upon the madness of mages, this volume hammered down the point once again. Mages can be as insane as they are because they're hard to kill, for better or worse.
In the end, things really get dire and intense. I can't wait to read the next volume!
My only complaint for the book is how it keeps repeating nicknames/descriptions of characters. This is something writers (such as fanfic writers) also struggled with, so I understand the plight, but it gets bothersome at some point. Please use synonyms or call them by name.