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Unnamed Memory (Light Novel) #1
Unnamed Memory 無名記憶 Ⅰ 蒼月魔女與受詛咒之王
「我的願望就是娶妳為妻，生下我們的孩子。」
「恕我拒絕！」
魔女──為擁有漫長生命及莫大力量，並被稱為災厄的異端。強國法爾薩斯的王太子‧奧斯卡，從小便受到「無法留下子嗣」的詛咒。為了解開詛咒，他決定前去拜訪被譽為世界最強的魔女──堤娜莎。奧斯卡成功克服「魔女之塔」的
試煉而成為契約者，然而他的願望竟是娶堤娜莎為妻……
「恕我拒絕！」
魔女──為擁有漫長生命及莫大力量，並被稱為災厄的異端。強國法爾薩斯的王太子‧奧斯卡，從小便受到「無法留下子嗣」的詛咒。為了解開詛咒，他決定前去拜訪被譽為世界最強的魔女──堤娜莎。奧斯卡成功克服「魔女之塔」的
試煉而成為契約者，然而他的願望竟是娶堤娜莎為妻……
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First published February 16, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 30, 2020
Probably one of the best romance light novels I have ever read. It was refreshing to read about a protagonist who knows what he wants and is willing to romantically pursue the woman he loves. I'm a bit tired of dense protagonists.
The world was fleshed out quite nicely. There's enough history, lore, and magic to make it interesting, but not enough to bog down the story.
I loved the interactions between Tinasha and Oscar; they trade a lot of witty banter and Tinasha seems to dislike him at times, but then she'll let him get close and show him a kinder side. I was very interested in the physical intimacy they shared and hope it goes further eventually.
Volume 1 presents a lot of mysteries that have yet to be solved. The most important one to me is how long will I have to wait for Oscar and Tinasha to get together?
The world was fleshed out quite nicely. There's enough history, lore, and magic to make it interesting, but not enough to bog down the story.
I loved the interactions between Tinasha and Oscar; they trade a lot of witty banter and Tinasha seems to dislike him at times, but then she'll let him get close and show him a kinder side. I was very interested in the physical intimacy they shared and hope it goes further eventually.
Volume 1 presents a lot of mysteries that have yet to be solved. The most important one to me is how long will I have to wait for Oscar and Tinasha to get together?
March 9, 2021
UNNAMED MEMORY is a hard sell.
The narrative is poorly structured, the characters are somewhat tedious, and the worldbuilding, while fun, vacillates wildly between genuine intrigue and redundant fairytale proselytism. It's easy for one to slip into the fun and clever mix of otherworldly sorcery and hyper-confident heroism that bracket the novel's events. But it's just as easy for one to resent the book's childish character dynamics and sheepish plotting, doubtless evidence of a novel that was outlined as it was written.
Tinasha, the Witch of the Azure Moon, lives in a far-away tower beset with various traps, predicaments, puzzles, and magical guardians. Content in her aloneness, Tinasha bides her time refining a multitude of incantations, scouring the land for lost knowledge, and researching the depths of her own mysterious past. She is hundreds of years old. Her relationship with the neighboring kingdom ruled by the Farsas royal family goes back decades.
And then there's Crown Prince Oscar Lyeth Increatos Loz Farsas, a young man of considerable swordsmanship, statecraft, and ego. To allay his kingdom's impending doom, thanks to a curse placed upon him as a child, Oscar ascends the witch's tower in search of a solution. He searches out the Witch of the Azure Moon, hoping her legendary power can undo the curse destined to cut short his royal bloodline. Instead, the idiot falls in love with the woman. Naturally.
UNNAMED MEMORY: THE WITCH OF THE AZURE MOON AND THE CURSED PRINCE is a long, dry read. It's hard to imagine any reader finishing this title without having otherwise set it down to seek out other, more engaging and more salient stories about witches and heroes and giant wolf demons. Roughly four months pass over the course of the novel and readers feel the slow-drip puddling of each and every week as it passes.
Part of the problem rests in how the story posits only the most modest of problems, then casts them aside (or forgets them), only to revisit those challenges a distant 80+ pages later. That is to say, the author's easygoing writing style and exceedingly casual approach to building story detail siphons drama from a long-form narrative. It's not uncommon for the book to introduce a minor character, only to forget about them. Or to introduce a clever or at-once meaningful emotional hook, only to discard it. Or to rely haughtily on descriptive ambiguity such that readers have no real clue as to whether they're situated in a flashback, in a dream, or elsewhere in real time (parallel action). It's frustrating.
The novel, in short, lacks structure. Events have no causal relationship unless it's convenient (e.g., someone is murdered in town, but nobody knows who). The author's use of spectacle lacks balance (e.g., it's 60 pages before something interesting happens and a further 40 pages before the action grows genuinely intriguing). Patently mysterious characters leap in and out of frame without context (e.g., shadowy figures "pulling the strings" are only legitimate if their motives appear worthwhile).
The characters aren't easy to like, either. Likeable protagonists aren't mandatory in fiction, but in a heroic narrative, they are an imperative the author cannot overlook. In UNNAMED MEMORY, the secondary characters, such as royal guards and curious mages, are far more interesting than Tinasha and Oscar.
The book's two leads are opposites; Tinasha is calm and well-read, while Oscar is overtly headstrong and eternally restless. They do not, unfortunately, do what personality opposites should do in literature: Instead of challenging one another to overcome their weaknesses through mild or moderate stress tests, these characters merely bicker. Endlessly. Tediously. For the first chapter or two, one might ascribe this imbalance to one of many, featured genre tropes. But reading the same, boring characters exhale the same, farcical coyness for 280+ pages puts a crick in one's neck.
UNNAMED MEMORY buries a handful of purposeful backstories and splinter plots just beneath the surface but refuses to unearth them in lieu of assembling extended predicaments (or whole chapters) that ultimately mean very little to the greater narrative. The novel is a tepid exploit in stream-of-consciousness storytelling. The spellcasting is exciting (of what little there is). The fantastical creatures are cool (although, technically, there's only one). And the book's brash attempt at romantic humor is mediocre but passable (although the light undercurrent of sexual harassment shouldn't go unmentioned). However, in spite of what the novel does well, if only modestly so, far too much else will discourage readers for searching out future volumes.
The narrative is poorly structured, the characters are somewhat tedious, and the worldbuilding, while fun, vacillates wildly between genuine intrigue and redundant fairytale proselytism. It's easy for one to slip into the fun and clever mix of otherworldly sorcery and hyper-confident heroism that bracket the novel's events. But it's just as easy for one to resent the book's childish character dynamics and sheepish plotting, doubtless evidence of a novel that was outlined as it was written.
Tinasha, the Witch of the Azure Moon, lives in a far-away tower beset with various traps, predicaments, puzzles, and magical guardians. Content in her aloneness, Tinasha bides her time refining a multitude of incantations, scouring the land for lost knowledge, and researching the depths of her own mysterious past. She is hundreds of years old. Her relationship with the neighboring kingdom ruled by the Farsas royal family goes back decades.
And then there's Crown Prince Oscar Lyeth Increatos Loz Farsas, a young man of considerable swordsmanship, statecraft, and ego. To allay his kingdom's impending doom, thanks to a curse placed upon him as a child, Oscar ascends the witch's tower in search of a solution. He searches out the Witch of the Azure Moon, hoping her legendary power can undo the curse destined to cut short his royal bloodline. Instead, the idiot falls in love with the woman. Naturally.
UNNAMED MEMORY: THE WITCH OF THE AZURE MOON AND THE CURSED PRINCE is a long, dry read. It's hard to imagine any reader finishing this title without having otherwise set it down to seek out other, more engaging and more salient stories about witches and heroes and giant wolf demons. Roughly four months pass over the course of the novel and readers feel the slow-drip puddling of each and every week as it passes.
Part of the problem rests in how the story posits only the most modest of problems, then casts them aside (or forgets them), only to revisit those challenges a distant 80+ pages later. That is to say, the author's easygoing writing style and exceedingly casual approach to building story detail siphons drama from a long-form narrative. It's not uncommon for the book to introduce a minor character, only to forget about them. Or to introduce a clever or at-once meaningful emotional hook, only to discard it. Or to rely haughtily on descriptive ambiguity such that readers have no real clue as to whether they're situated in a flashback, in a dream, or elsewhere in real time (parallel action). It's frustrating.
The novel, in short, lacks structure. Events have no causal relationship unless it's convenient (e.g., someone is murdered in town, but nobody knows who). The author's use of spectacle lacks balance (e.g., it's 60 pages before something interesting happens and a further 40 pages before the action grows genuinely intriguing). Patently mysterious characters leap in and out of frame without context (e.g., shadowy figures "pulling the strings" are only legitimate if their motives appear worthwhile).
The characters aren't easy to like, either. Likeable protagonists aren't mandatory in fiction, but in a heroic narrative, they are an imperative the author cannot overlook. In UNNAMED MEMORY, the secondary characters, such as royal guards and curious mages, are far more interesting than Tinasha and Oscar.
The book's two leads are opposites; Tinasha is calm and well-read, while Oscar is overtly headstrong and eternally restless. They do not, unfortunately, do what personality opposites should do in literature: Instead of challenging one another to overcome their weaknesses through mild or moderate stress tests, these characters merely bicker. Endlessly. Tediously. For the first chapter or two, one might ascribe this imbalance to one of many, featured genre tropes. But reading the same, boring characters exhale the same, farcical coyness for 280+ pages puts a crick in one's neck.
UNNAMED MEMORY buries a handful of purposeful backstories and splinter plots just beneath the surface but refuses to unearth them in lieu of assembling extended predicaments (or whole chapters) that ultimately mean very little to the greater narrative. The novel is a tepid exploit in stream-of-consciousness storytelling. The spellcasting is exciting (of what little there is). The fantastical creatures are cool (although, technically, there's only one). And the book's brash attempt at romantic humor is mediocre but passable (although the light undercurrent of sexual harassment shouldn't go unmentioned). However, in spite of what the novel does well, if only modestly so, far too much else will discourage readers for searching out future volumes.
March 27, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, Yen Press, and Kuji Furumiya for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a translation of a Japanese light novel. For a light novel, it didn't have quite as many images as I would like in a light novel. There were maybe only five at most, so that was a bit disappointing. The novel and concept itself? Feels like your usual Japanese anime fantasy plot.
The royal line has had a curse placed upon it by a witch. The curse: unable to have an heir, thus leaving the last of the royal line to diminish into nothing.
Prince Oscar believes if he can find a witch, perhaps he can find a way to get the curse lifted so that he may continue his family line. When he takes the challenge to battle through a tower and reach a witch, he succeeds, much to witch Tinasha's surprise. Tinasha goes back to Oscar's kingdom, Farsas, with him. They have a one-year contract that she will keep him safe and help him find a way to break the curse.
Over the course of the novel, both Oscar and Tinasha find themselves in predicaments where they must fight for their lives or the kingdom. All the while, Tinasha helps Oscar find a girl that might just be able to bear a child through the curse, but Oscar finds he wants Tinasha the witch to marry him! The other catch is Oscar is in possession of a legendary sword, a rare item that can kill Tinasha. Will he need to do so?
While there were certainly serious elements to this novel, it was full of light-hearted moments and the quest to break the curse occasionally gets lost under more dire, in-the-moment situations. It is a decent light novel that I already know who to recommend to and wouldn't mind reading the next one to see if Oscar and Tinasha ever find a resolution for themselves.
This is a translation of a Japanese light novel. For a light novel, it didn't have quite as many images as I would like in a light novel. There were maybe only five at most, so that was a bit disappointing. The novel and concept itself? Feels like your usual Japanese anime fantasy plot.
The royal line has had a curse placed upon it by a witch. The curse: unable to have an heir, thus leaving the last of the royal line to diminish into nothing.
Prince Oscar believes if he can find a witch, perhaps he can find a way to get the curse lifted so that he may continue his family line. When he takes the challenge to battle through a tower and reach a witch, he succeeds, much to witch Tinasha's surprise. Tinasha goes back to Oscar's kingdom, Farsas, with him. They have a one-year contract that she will keep him safe and help him find a way to break the curse.
Over the course of the novel, both Oscar and Tinasha find themselves in predicaments where they must fight for their lives or the kingdom. All the while, Tinasha helps Oscar find a girl that might just be able to bear a child through the curse, but Oscar finds he wants Tinasha the witch to marry him! The other catch is Oscar is in possession of a legendary sword, a rare item that can kill Tinasha. Will he need to do so?
While there were certainly serious elements to this novel, it was full of light-hearted moments and the quest to break the curse occasionally gets lost under more dire, in-the-moment situations. It is a decent light novel that I already know who to recommend to and wouldn't mind reading the next one to see if Oscar and Tinasha ever find a resolution for themselves.
March 31, 2021
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A dark and action packed light novel centering on a Prince's quest to break the curse that has been placed upon him and an all powerful witch who aims to help him through their shared contract. Witty as well as intriguing - this story had a level of murder mystery to it as well as general magic quest. I enjoyed the characters and the story, the writing at times became a little repetitive but overall I enjoyed it.
A dark and action packed light novel centering on a Prince's quest to break the curse that has been placed upon him and an all powerful witch who aims to help him through their shared contract. Witty as well as intriguing - this story had a level of murder mystery to it as well as general magic quest. I enjoyed the characters and the story, the writing at times became a little repetitive but overall I enjoyed it.
May 11, 2022
Super humorous, enjoyable, and overall cute! I cannot wait to read the sequel!
~Update! Yay! I finally reread this book so I can read volumes 2, 3, & 4. This book is incredibly cute as I stated before the relationship between the witch and prince is heartwarming and inviting. Truly enjoyable in every way.
~Update! Yay! I finally reread this book so I can read volumes 2, 3, & 4. This book is incredibly cute as I stated before the relationship between the witch and prince is heartwarming and inviting. Truly enjoyable in every way.
April 21, 2022
I was interested to read this light novel after I read the available manga, but... it's.. I don't exactly knew why but the light novel feels kinda boring for me, it's not as exciting as it supposed to be. I want to know their story but if it's similar with the first novel then I'm not sure I'm gonna pick it up.
I hope it get better as the series goes by.
I hope it get better as the series goes by.
October 31, 2025
I like Tishana and the world enough to continue on and read Volume 2. If Oskar stays as obnoxious as he felt in this book, then I will be stopping at 2.
July 21, 2021
This book was so good, I believe I will read it again
Chapter two felt like a step backward for me. I believe the author had a difficult time recapturing the magic of the first chapter, but eventually the story picked up steam. (Light novels are usually serialized on the web.) I certainly wasn’t expecting a murder mystery mixed in with my fantasy adventure. The book was full of surprises and fun characters—except the prince. He played one note through the entire story. He was a phenomenally talented super prince that had boundless devotion for a girl who continually rejected him. He grew on me, but the best character was Tinasha, and the prince simply paled in comparison to her. After all, she was the Witch from the fabled tower.
I like how the author mingled her magic in with the reality around her. To outside observers, she was unearthly and otherworldly—not human. However, to the prince she was just Tinasha. I believe this is why his character grew on me, and why Tinasha eventually warmed up to him over time.
There was just enough hints at a deeper, more ancient plot to explore later, but the story wound up satisfactorily. I recommend it. ★★★★½
Chapter two felt like a step backward for me. I believe the author had a difficult time recapturing the magic of the first chapter, but eventually the story picked up steam. (Light novels are usually serialized on the web.) I certainly wasn’t expecting a murder mystery mixed in with my fantasy adventure. The book was full of surprises and fun characters—except the prince. He played one note through the entire story. He was a phenomenally talented super prince that had boundless devotion for a girl who continually rejected him. He grew on me, but the best character was Tinasha, and the prince simply paled in comparison to her. After all, she was the Witch from the fabled tower.
I like how the author mingled her magic in with the reality around her. To outside observers, she was unearthly and otherworldly—not human. However, to the prince she was just Tinasha. I believe this is why his character grew on me, and why Tinasha eventually warmed up to him over time.
There was just enough hints at a deeper, more ancient plot to explore later, but the story wound up satisfactorily. I recommend it. ★★★★½
July 28, 2021
Ngl the cover is 5 stars Chibi and the designers are doing something right I must say. The first quarter or so is 2 stars actually, but majority of the book is a 1 star read for me.
The art is great, the story does feel planned, and the prose, despite several errors here and there, is pretty nice. The issue lies in... everything else?
The individual plotlines feel a bit draggy, inconclusive, and repetitive, because it's all to build up to the final battle I guess. Often, to emphasise how experienced the characters are, they're somehow detached from the fighting scenes, and it leads to this... lack of urgency in a fight. Like if I described a fight but it feels more like I were preparing a double-boiled soup... That would be still worth it if you got to drink the soup in the end, but no, we're just going to pretend I never cooked it anyway. About the saying, you know, Show not Tell? This book mostly shows, but when it does tell, the tell and the show always contradict I'm in pain. And there's also the character interactions which were either repetitive or uncomfortable to read I... well, I won't be continuing this series.
A lot of the elements are cool, but the execution is like eh... like the murder mystery + magic in the first part, but basically we resolved it not by logic but just Tinasha identifying a spirit mage. We have the whole Oscar training arc but we don't see him facing off against a mage although the mage is right there. We also have the magic beast, which, for some reason, Tinasha decides to fight alone and of course she faints and the magic beast comes back I been knew. What does Oscar do in the meanwhile? Stand there. We have a plan from Als and Tinasha to lure Miralys out and we get a rapey scene and Oscar destroying the whole plan. And then of course plot shenanigans. I'm just saying if I were Lazar I'd move to another country already...not to mention Lazar's whole Lake episode that's just packed up like that. Nothing is wrapped up satisfactorily even if it has nothing to feed into the overarching plot. Even Oscar's personality is tiring... he's not dense but... there is no bloody communication.
Multiple times we are told about the differences in power between witches and mages, so the way the final fight concludes is just mind-boggling; so is there a huge power gap or not? If there is, then act like it? Sure you can beat her easily okay sure and you made him buy time to use a spell that sounds cool but essentially did nothing since the crystal ball did more damage lmao and of course the mage runs away I been knew. It's a plot-advancing shenanigan but then everything is a similarly funkily-written plot-advancing shenanigan, which gets tiring.
Then there are the characters who are written in a way that is supposed to make them sound clever or that they're hiding things, but personally I just found it bloody annoying. We don't get much inner thoughts of Tinasha or Oscar, although it really is needed because look is Tinasha not wanting to be married and pushing him away or is it okay for him to Caress her Exposed Leg. I'm not asking for Consistency because characters are complicated sure but if you're having whole personality swaps here and there maybe reflect on it. Sure you could say that it's a Complicated Relationship but it just reads like Weird Character Interactions. In fact the interactions in this book are just... wow. How did you even make them so difficult to read.
Inconsistency in the characters aside, there's the whole sexual harrassment used as a haha funny and cute thing from their whole relationship but throw in a character break or two... and then there's the whole Oscar becoming rapey scene "just wanted to scare her" at the end that TINASHA APOLOGISES FOR DESTROYING A FEW THINGS IN THE ROOM? Sorry that's a no from me adios. The problem isn't just the trauma of being magic-less. JESUS. And then right after when he swears not to do something like that again Oscar straightaway drags her to another room and announces that he loves her and will marry her. Okay and what did we learn from this? Nothing. There's a lot more to unpack here but let's just throw out the whole luggage.
The only likeable kids are Als and Sylvia and some of the other mages. Even the supposed antagonist for the first half, Valt, is always saying that Tinasha won't be sweet-talked and so he gives up talking to her. Have you tried, you know, talking? Without the sweet? Then Miralys has an Thought while she's facing off with Tinasha that "why can't she understand how precious it is to me" yeah girl, because we do not have communication in this novel. Only smart-ass jipes.
Communication isn't in this novel, no matter how smart or level-headed they are made to read like. And we're supposed to believe that they're mature and level-headed and battle-hardened?? Well, when your plot points can almost all have been properly closed if we had some semblance of communication, it's hard to believe.
Communication aside, even their power... Oscar is strong maybe, barring that the last fight was just him tanking hits (which happens to be opposite of how he 1. initially fought and 2. was taught to fight by Tinasha) and getting his legendary sword satay-ed in a wolf beast. And then we have Tinasha who we're supposed to believe is powerful but there's that whole thing I mentioned earlier.
The thing is the world-building I think initially showed a lot of promise. At the very least you can tell the author has a pretty solid plot outline for the whole story, and since they have other series (Babel, I think) that are connected to this one, they probably put a lot of thought into it and so... If other people can read it and enjoy it kudos to yall and I hope yall enjoy it. A lot of things in this novel didn't sit right with me so... Well, it's a shame, really.
The art is great, the story does feel planned, and the prose, despite several errors here and there, is pretty nice. The issue lies in... everything else?
The individual plotlines feel a bit draggy, inconclusive, and repetitive, because it's all to build up to the final battle I guess. Often, to emphasise how experienced the characters are, they're somehow detached from the fighting scenes, and it leads to this... lack of urgency in a fight. Like if I described a fight but it feels more like I were preparing a double-boiled soup... That would be still worth it if you got to drink the soup in the end, but no, we're just going to pretend I never cooked it anyway. About the saying, you know, Show not Tell? This book mostly shows, but when it does tell, the tell and the show always contradict I'm in pain. And there's also the character interactions which were either repetitive or uncomfortable to read I... well, I won't be continuing this series.
A lot of the elements are cool, but the execution is like eh... like the murder mystery + magic in the first part, but basically we resolved it not by logic but just Tinasha identifying a spirit mage. We have the whole Oscar training arc but we don't see him facing off against a mage although the mage is right there. We also have the magic beast, which, for some reason, Tinasha decides to fight alone and of course she faints and the magic beast comes back I been knew. What does Oscar do in the meanwhile? Stand there. We have a plan from Als and Tinasha to lure Miralys out and we get a rapey scene and Oscar destroying the whole plan. And then of course plot shenanigans. I'm just saying if I were Lazar I'd move to another country already...not to mention Lazar's whole Lake episode that's just packed up like that. Nothing is wrapped up satisfactorily even if it has nothing to feed into the overarching plot. Even Oscar's personality is tiring... he's not dense but... there is no bloody communication.
Multiple times we are told about the differences in power between witches and mages, so the way the final fight concludes is just mind-boggling; so is there a huge power gap or not? If there is, then act like it? Sure you can beat her easily okay sure and you made him buy time to use a spell that sounds cool but essentially did nothing since the crystal ball did more damage lmao and of course the mage runs away I been knew. It's a plot-advancing shenanigan but then everything is a similarly funkily-written plot-advancing shenanigan, which gets tiring.
Then there are the characters who are written in a way that is supposed to make them sound clever or that they're hiding things, but personally I just found it bloody annoying. We don't get much inner thoughts of Tinasha or Oscar, although it really is needed because look is Tinasha not wanting to be married and pushing him away or is it okay for him to Caress her Exposed Leg. I'm not asking for Consistency because characters are complicated sure but if you're having whole personality swaps here and there maybe reflect on it. Sure you could say that it's a Complicated Relationship but it just reads like Weird Character Interactions. In fact the interactions in this book are just... wow. How did you even make them so difficult to read.
Inconsistency in the characters aside, there's the whole sexual harrassment used as a haha funny and cute thing from their whole relationship but throw in a character break or two... and then there's the whole Oscar becoming rapey scene "just wanted to scare her" at the end that TINASHA APOLOGISES FOR DESTROYING A FEW THINGS IN THE ROOM? Sorry that's a no from me adios. The problem isn't just the trauma of being magic-less. JESUS. And then right after when he swears not to do something like that again Oscar straightaway drags her to another room and announces that he loves her and will marry her. Okay and what did we learn from this? Nothing. There's a lot more to unpack here but let's just throw out the whole luggage.
The only likeable kids are Als and Sylvia and some of the other mages. Even the supposed antagonist for the first half, Valt, is always saying that Tinasha won't be sweet-talked and so he gives up talking to her. Have you tried, you know, talking? Without the sweet? Then Miralys has an Thought while she's facing off with Tinasha that "why can't she understand how precious it is to me" yeah girl, because we do not have communication in this novel. Only smart-ass jipes.
Communication isn't in this novel, no matter how smart or level-headed they are made to read like. And we're supposed to believe that they're mature and level-headed and battle-hardened?? Well, when your plot points can almost all have been properly closed if we had some semblance of communication, it's hard to believe.
Communication aside, even their power... Oscar is strong maybe, barring that the last fight was just him tanking hits (which happens to be opposite of how he 1. initially fought and 2. was taught to fight by Tinasha) and getting his legendary sword satay-ed in a wolf beast. And then we have Tinasha who we're supposed to believe is powerful but there's that whole thing I mentioned earlier.
The thing is the world-building I think initially showed a lot of promise. At the very least you can tell the author has a pretty solid plot outline for the whole story, and since they have other series (Babel, I think) that are connected to this one, they probably put a lot of thought into it and so... If other people can read it and enjoy it kudos to yall and I hope yall enjoy it. A lot of things in this novel didn't sit right with me so... Well, it's a shame, really.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2021
I feel as though this one has a lot of potential, but that it wasn't fully achieved in this volume. While this is the first book, and therefore a fair amount of worldbuilding, character and plot needs to be established, the structure somewhat let it down, and it felt as though there was a lot being drawn out much more than it needed to be. Sometimes, with points being brought up and then only reoccuring quite a bit later, which made it a little challenging to really become invested in the world and story. I did however enjoy the characters, and the promise of the slow burn romance, and I am certainly interested in seeing where this one goes, and whether that potential can be polished into something more in future volumes.
December 14, 2020
While this was good, it also felt far longer than it actually was. I feel like the author was trying too hard to establish the world and characters and it just didn't come together quite right. I'll likely give it a second volume because I liked elements, but something was definitely amiss in this one.
November 22, 2020
Quite boring to me. I finished it but was like "meh, what was this?". The author tries to include personal interaction but imo it's pretty badly done. I had high hopes for this books though...
August 6, 2025
First, let me say that I am a fan of the anime and bought the light novels because someone indicated that the novels contained a lot of background info that was missing from the anime (which made the anime somewhat confusing as to why things happened.) If not for that, I would have given up on this novel within the first few pages.
The writing (or perhaps it's the translation?) is horrible. The wording is very stilted. Ideas and events are not fully expounded on - almost like reading a set of bullet points on what the story should cover.
The romantic tension between Oscar and Tinasha is somewhat OK, but the anime did a much better job (props to the anime team for this!) Oscar's habit of patting Tinsaha on the head (yeah, I realize this is a Japanese thing based on various anime I have watched) got old really fast. As did Tinasha's habit of floating around all the time. The world building, and the various conflicts were OK, and at least hinted at something larger behind the events. The combat scenes were awful. In some cases, it seemed like the antagonist took a coffee break while the main characters chatted amongst themselves.
And the stupidity of the characters knows no bounds. Example (spoiler!): Oscar placed a power limiting bracelet on Tinasha for reasons, but they never took the bracelet off before they entered what they knew would be a major battle. What??? Why not? Just to make it harder for Tinasha to win the battle? If there would have been a purpose behind it, such as Oscar or Tinasha learning a key point, that would have been at least acceptable. But from what I could tell, they learned nothing new.
Will I read the rest of the light novels? Yes, I will, to better understand and appreciate the anime. I can only hope that the writing improves.
The writing (or perhaps it's the translation?) is horrible. The wording is very stilted. Ideas and events are not fully expounded on - almost like reading a set of bullet points on what the story should cover.
The romantic tension between Oscar and Tinasha is somewhat OK, but the anime did a much better job (props to the anime team for this!) Oscar's habit of patting Tinsaha on the head (yeah, I realize this is a Japanese thing based on various anime I have watched) got old really fast. As did Tinasha's habit of floating around all the time. The world building, and the various conflicts were OK, and at least hinted at something larger behind the events. The combat scenes were awful. In some cases, it seemed like the antagonist took a coffee break while the main characters chatted amongst themselves.
And the stupidity of the characters knows no bounds. Example (spoiler!): Oscar placed a power limiting bracelet on Tinasha for reasons, but they never took the bracelet off before they entered what they knew would be a major battle. What??? Why not? Just to make it harder for Tinasha to win the battle? If there would have been a purpose behind it, such as Oscar or Tinasha learning a key point, that would have been at least acceptable. But from what I could tell, they learned nothing new.
Will I read the rest of the light novels? Yes, I will, to better understand and appreciate the anime. I can only hope that the writing improves.
March 9, 2023
In this secondary world fantasy manga, Oscar, the crown prince is cursed to be unable to sire children. To break the curse, he fights his way to Tinasha, a powerful witch in a tower. She can’t break the curse, but she might be able to find a woman who can withstand it and bear his children, so he suggests she comes with him to live in his castle for a year. And since she is also able to withstand the curse, he wants her to become his bride, which she refuses outright.
This was a less of a romance than I thought it would be. Even though Tinasha is centuries old, she looks like a teenager and Oscar treats her like a child. And instead of finding Oscar a bride, the pair becomes involved in a murder mystery. Sinister things are afoot that are only hinted at in this first volume. But the story was good so far and I’m interested in reading more.
The illustrations weren’t really to my liking, though they were skillful. The black and white drawings were done in thin lines that almost disappeared in the e-book edition, on top of which there was an odd pattern printed over everything which muddled them further. I’m not sure if it exists in the final version or only in the review copy, but it was really annoying.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This was a less of a romance than I thought it would be. Even though Tinasha is centuries old, she looks like a teenager and Oscar treats her like a child. And instead of finding Oscar a bride, the pair becomes involved in a murder mystery. Sinister things are afoot that are only hinted at in this first volume. But the story was good so far and I’m interested in reading more.
The illustrations weren’t really to my liking, though they were skillful. The black and white drawings were done in thin lines that almost disappeared in the e-book edition, on top of which there was an odd pattern printed over everything which muddled them further. I’m not sure if it exists in the final version or only in the review copy, but it was really annoying.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2023
Unnamed Memory เป็น Light Novel แนวแฟนตาซีดั้งเดิมแบบที่หาได้ค่อนข้างยากในยุคสมัยนี้ (แฟนตาซีแนวที่ไม่ต้องไปเกิดใหม่ต่างโลก) แม้ว่าแก่นเรื่องหลักจะเป็นการหาทางลบล้างคำสาปให้กับเจ้าชายออสการ์+การตามจีบแม่มดของเจ้าชาย แต่แนวการดำเนินเรื่องราวกลับเป็นแบบ Slice of life ที่เต็มไปด้วยเรื่องราวการเมืองระหว่างแว่นแคว้น, การแก้ปัญหาทางเวทมนตร์, การลอบสังหารเจ้าชาย ไปจนถึงการหนีออกจากวังไปผจญภัยของเจ้าชายและพระสหาย ฯลฯ มีทั้งสนุกบ้างน่าเบื่อบ้าง โดยเฉพาะเรื่องราวประมาณครึ่งเล่มแรก ที่หมดไปกับการปูพื้นตัวละครและเรื่องราวฉากหลังของโลกแฟนตาซีนี้ บางช่วงผมเกือบหลับระหว่างอ่านเลยด้วยซ้ำ แต่ทว่าครึ่งหลังผมอ่านแบบแทบวางไม่ลงเลย สนุกมาก เป็นการผสมกันระหว่างแอคชันแฟนตาซีและความโรแมนติกอย่างลงตัว ความดีงามที่สุดของเรื่องนี้คือความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างเจ้าชายออสการ์และแม่มดทีนาชา เคมีเข้ากันสุดๆ ฉากเจ้าชายกับแม่มดคุยหยอกล้อกันนี่คืออ่านเพลินมาก เรียกรอยยิ้มได้ตลอด แม้ว่าทีนาชาจะใจแข็งสุดๆเลยก็ตามไม่ว่าออสการ์จะหยอดมาแบบไหน เรียกได้ว่า "น้ำหยดลงหินทุกวัน หินเดินหนี" กันเลยทีเดียว อ่านไปลุ้นไปมากว่านางจะตกหลุมรักพระเอกได้ยังไง
ส่วนข้อเสียเล็กๆน้อยๆจุดหนึ่งที่ผมไม่ค่อยชอบคือการบรรยายหรือฉากพูดในเรื่องหลายๆครั้งชอบใช้คำศัพท์ในยุคปัจจุบันอย่าง "โอเวอร์" หรือ "แฟน" ซึ่งคำเหล่านี้คนในยุโรปยุคกลางคงจะไม่พูดกันหรอกมั้ง (ถึงในเรื่องจะเป็นโลกสมมติก็เถอะ แต่ธีมมันยุโรปจ๋าเลยอะ) อ่านแล้วรู้สึกว่าความดำดิ่งในเรื่องราว (Immersion) มันสะดุด จุดนี้ผมไม่มั่นใจว่าเป็นตั้งแต่ต้นฉบับหรือว่าการแปลไทยกันแน่
ส่วนข้อเสียเล็กๆน้อยๆจุดหนึ่งที่ผมไม่ค่อยชอบคือการบรรยายหรือฉากพูดในเรื่องหลายๆครั้งชอบใช้คำศัพท์ในยุคปัจจุบันอย่าง "โอเวอร์" หรือ "แฟน" ซึ่งคำเหล่านี้คนในยุโรปยุคกลางคงจะไม่พูดกันหรอกมั้ง (ถึงในเรื่องจะเป็นโลกสมมติก็เถอะ แต่ธีมมันยุโรปจ๋าเลยอะ) อ่านแล้วรู้สึกว่าความดำดิ่งในเรื่องราว (Immersion) มันสะดุด จุดนี้ผมไม่มั่นใจว่าเป็นตั้งแต่ต้นฉบับหรือว่าการแปลไทยกันแน่
May 22, 2023
I've been hearing great things about this series so I've decided to try. However, I was very dissapointed in the the Male MC as he is extremely self-assertive. This book feels like the author is creating a domesticated female MC who is obedient, unselfish, attentive, mindful, forgiving, etc.... Imagine a girl in a bar/pub and a guy is pushing himself onto them and forcing the girl to do what he wants even though the girl keeps rejecting him. At one point, the Male MC even becomes abusive, but the female MC is somehow fine with it and apologizes to him.
There were many points in the story that made me want to stop reading because of the Male MC, but I do not like stopping half-way and forced myself to finish.
There were many points in the story that made me want to stop reading because of the Male MC, but I do not like stopping half-way and forced myself to finish.
October 29, 2024
I can see why this light novel is rated averagely.
Despite being written well, it’s really not that “light” compared to the other light novels as this book is heavy on exposition and booooooy did the author loves to just describe everything. And honestly it’s understandable since the world building is a must need in this book.
As for the characters. I LOVEE TINASHA. She’s not the usual bumbling, blushing, pining, dere idiot in most Japanese Light Novels. She’s…not really indifferent but she thinks first before she acts and no matter how hot and persuading Oscar’s proposal or gesture is, she does not fully ride his oh so princely manner. That being said, I also love Oscar’s character and his level headedness and how he deals with Tinasha.
Despite being written well, it’s really not that “light” compared to the other light novels as this book is heavy on exposition and booooooy did the author loves to just describe everything. And honestly it’s understandable since the world building is a must need in this book.
As for the characters. I LOVEE TINASHA. She’s not the usual bumbling, blushing, pining, dere idiot in most Japanese Light Novels. She’s…not really indifferent but she thinks first before she acts and no matter how hot and persuading Oscar’s proposal or gesture is, she does not fully ride his oh so princely manner. That being said, I also love Oscar’s character and his level headedness and how he deals with Tinasha.
February 1, 2024
I enjoyed Oscar and I was sometimes amused by the descriptions of Tinasha being treated as cat. It's interesting that the book hints at the idea of Tinasha not really enjoying her immortality and perhaps hoping Oscar will be the solution to that. The writing is solid, and the overall premise is interesting, but the book never really took off for me, and it seemed like problems were introduced and resolved at such a rate that it was difficult to feel invested in any of them. I'm vaguely curious about the next volume, but probably won't bother.
April 7, 2024
I absolutely love this book! It is incredibly well-written and captivating. I was so engrossed in the story that I couldn't put it down and managed to finish it in just one day. I discovered this book after watching the first episode of the anime and couldn't wait for the next episode, so I decided to buy the light novel. Now, I'm eagerly anticipating how the scenes will be brought to life in the anime version.
June 16, 2024
Oscar climbs Tinasha's tower to ask for her help to break his curse. When he realizes that she is the most suitable candidate for his wife, he starts to pursue her. Tinasha's turns him down but does agree to help him break his curse. As they solve different problems that crop up, their relationship slowly changes.
I started watching the anime on crunchyroll and I couldn't resist purchasing the ebook to read ahead.
I started watching the anime on crunchyroll and I couldn't resist purchasing the ebook to read ahead.
April 21, 2023
An overall fun read. I really enjoyed reading these characters and their interactions, and I love the world building and how everything is set up; it makes me really anticipate what’ll happen in future installments. Tho there are some… problematic moments/prose choices for sure, I enjoyed it enough to overlook them in hopes it’ll get smoothed out in the future.
October 10, 2023
fast paced
Fast pace adventure, romantically oblivious heroine, kind hero. Much more geared for older readers (not in terms of spicy romance or explicit dialog, just more mature writing and character development.) I’d estimate more of late high school or early college. I like the fact that it reads like continuous short stories set chronologically.
Fast pace adventure, romantically oblivious heroine, kind hero. Much more geared for older readers (not in terms of spicy romance or explicit dialog, just more mature writing and character development.) I’d estimate more of late high school or early college. I like the fact that it reads like continuous short stories set chronologically.
December 28, 2021
It was well written but was expecting more romance. Everything was rather slow paced and it couldn't keep my attention for very long.
March 5, 2023
Me costó terminarlo por el idioma, pero la historia y los personajes son fantásticos :D
April 16, 2024
It was fine...a little boring at time but overall entertaining.
May 18, 2024
6/10. The prince is indestructible. The story is kind of boring. I'm interested in the witch's past so I'll keep reading.
February 8, 2025
4.5** first manga read and i really enjoyed!!
August 19, 2025
killing someone for your dignity? make it make sense 😭
September 29, 2025
I really liked this. It was a bit slow in the beginning, but it definitely ramped up toward the end. I'm interested to see how the rest of the story plays out.
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