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There are times when a predictable plot line is exactly what I want. There can be something comforting in turning to a story and knowing how each beat will play out, a balm to the nerves during tough times or just when trying to wind down after a long day. But even when that’s the kind of story I crave, I still want at least a little variety. Shake up the details just a little bit. Add some unexpected conflict for zest. For me, part of the fun in following a story where you already know the ending is in seeing the characters overcome the obstacles put in the way of that predetermined fate.

But seven volumes deep into My Next Life as a Villainess, I have to admit that even a change in circumstances is not enough to keep the boredom from creeping in. Katerina only knowing the bare-bones outline of the game sequel she’s living through should create more tension with the new people in her life, but in practice it’s just more of the same. She meets someone, they make an assumption about her, she breaks that assumption, and they fall for her. Admittedly there seems to be a twist this time around where someone falls for Maria instead, but the formula holds true. And while the writing has improved by leaps and bounds since the first two volumes, the author is still not skilled enough to stop drawing attention to the formula their entire series hinges on. And once you notice the formula, you notice that there’s little difference in the variations as well. And once that happens…it really hinges on how much you like villainess isekai stories if you want to stick it out.

As for me, I have to tap out here. The anime version brought a lot of nuance and detail that this version lacked, and after shaking off my initial surprise at how simple the original is, I’m not finding the fun in endless repeats of Katarina accidentally enthralling the world anymore. Maybe I’ll come back on a rainy day, when this kind of plot is exactly what I’m looking for, but for now, I’ve got a backlog calling my name.

“It’s like a whole great pyramid. But upside down, you understand? All that history, all those ancestors, all the people, all funnelling down to me. Right at the bottom.”

I didn’t realize until poking around at other reviews that this was the first standalone Discworld novel - not in the sense that the other books aren’t standalone, I’ve read enough of them now that I can see how people fell into this series sideways, but it’s interesting to read a Discworld plot that doesn’t reference back to other characters and other adventures. That hasn’t happened since I started this series.

That said, I’ll admit that I might’ve enjoyed it more if I hadn’t spent about the first half of the book half expecting the narrative to turn into a “the ancient cultures of the world are backwards and stupid - modern day Western civilization is where it’s really at” kind of plotline. I let out a sigh of relief when it became clear that, no, the book wasn’t here to use Egypt as the stand-in for that kind of commentary. Instead, this book is about tradition, the good and bad sides of it, how adhering to it too strongly can strip it of its original meaning, and that change is not the same as wiping the memory of where you came from. I was very happy to have my gut “oh no” reaction proven wrong.

From there, it’s a fun adventure book. I loved the sci-fi-esque twist with the titular pyramids, I loved You Bastard’s mathematical equations, and I loved how what was previously a throwaway joke about the Assassin’s guild in previous books became the basis for Teppic to bring his homeland into the present while still honoring his past. Even knowing now that this is a standalone adventure, I do hope for some small background updates in future volumes - I’d like to know how the bridge business plays out.

After the high points of the last volume, it’s pretty funny to have Will and Meneldor open this volume like they’re on a clip show episode of an 80’s sitcom. “Remember when you did that thing?” “Oh boy, do I. Roll the clip!” Inherent silliness aside, despite this series’ multi-year ‘hiatus,’ this volume feels like it’s just tying up a couple loose ends before truly saying goodbye. The story came full circle last time, and I appreciate a series that knows when it’s time to pack it in as opposed to serializing itself into oblivion. While the previous volume is definitely “the end,” I’m glad that I got to see a bit of the aftermath and some smaller adventures with these characters one last time. This remains one of my favorite fantasy isekai series for how well it used the ‘second chance’ part of its theming, and if the author comes back with a continuation that builds further on that idea, I’ll be happy to give it a look.

The reviews were not kidding about this story going off the rails at the halfway point. The first half is the story as we're generally familiar with it - especially if you've ever read the more readily available abridged version. I liked the extra details about the Beast (he has scales? And an elephant tusk?) as well as the increased thematic focus of judging by actions, not by appearances. The dream sections are a bit of a mixed bag - we don’t really hear why Beauty has fallen for this dream boy, just that he compliments her a lot and that they spent a lot of time in the dreamscape - but I did like how it wrapped back around to the story’s theme through her choice. Was she going to continue living in a fantasy that may or may not be true, or was she going to commit to the real life individual that she truly cared for? 

And it was great, until the second half of the story decides to bend over backwards to justify an incredibly convoluted plot twist to make Beauty royalty all along. All that stuff about being a good person and judging by actions and not appearance? Forget about it! It’s just because she was secretly royal, and royalty is always good. Please do not fact check this pre-revolution French story on this. And definitely do not side eye the fairy who knowingly set up two cousins. That’s just how royalty was back then. Because they were so pure of heart. (Please read the past several sentences with heavy sarcasm.)

In any case, I’m glad I finally read the full version if only to have the context for why the second half of the story gets tossed out. It turns out that moral hand-wringing about Stockholm Syndrome is not the main concern for OG Beauty and the Beast - it’s royal incest!