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Raven of the Inner Palace Light Novel #1
Raven of the Inner Palace
A tale of dark magic and court intrigue in a setting inspired by historical China--anime soon!
Deep within the palace lives a mysterious woman known only as the Raven Consort. Some say she’s an old woman, others that she’s young and beautiful. But all are agreed on this: her dark arts have the power to exorcise spirits, lay fatal curses, and find what has been lost—for a price. When the young emperor, Koushou, seeks out the Raven Consort to make use of that magic, what follows will overturn the court...and perhaps even the country.
Deep within the palace lives a mysterious woman known only as the Raven Consort. Some say she’s an old woman, others that she’s young and beautiful. But all are agreed on this: her dark arts have the power to exorcise spirits, lay fatal curses, and find what has been lost—for a price. When the young emperor, Koushou, seeks out the Raven Consort to make use of that magic, what follows will overturn the court...and perhaps even the country.
314 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2018
174 people are currently reading
1925 people want to read
About the author
Kouko Shirakawa
45 books31 followersEnglish：Kouko Shirakawa
Japanese：白川 紺子
Traditional Chinese：白川紺子
Japanese：白川 紺子
Traditional Chinese：白川紺子
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
January 26, 2022
I bought this book because I really loved the cover of one of the books in the series. Turns out I really need to start picking my Japanese books based on covers. I did it for いたいのいたいの、とんでゆけ, and that is one of my favourites, and Miaki Sugaru has become my favourite author.
It worked for this book as well, because I absolutely loved it.
This was my first time reading a historical fiction book in Japanese. This meant a lot of unfamiliar terms, but the book is clearly written for a modern audience, and it's very easy to understand, imo. It probably also helped that I was reading the English translation for The Tale of Genji, so I had some idea of court life. The Chinese terms and names were sometimes a bit difficult to remember, but the readings were repeated so often that I got used to them by the end.
On the surface, this book is about the Uhi-sama, Jiyusetsu, a special concubine, who has no relations with the emperor (or anyone else for that matter, she lives completely isolated). The Uhi has special powers. She can use them to find lost things, and missing people. To call down souls from heaven for a final conversation, or give ghosts eternal peace. She can curse people too, but the price is usually so high her customers decide it's not worth it.
Every chapter of the book (4 in total) has a different "case" for Jiyusetsu to solve, though they do blend into each other really smoothly. They don't feel like four short stories, it's clearly one story.
But that's not all that this book is. Jiyusetsu is such a wonderfully crafted character and seeing the development she went through in just this one book was wonderful. She went from being completely isolated and alone in her palace building, to sorta making friends. Her struggles with people are relatable and real. Especially considering she has been by herself for so long.
On top of that, there's a bigger mystery. What is the Uhi? Why does that position exist? Why is it so different from all other positions in the palace? Why does she have to be isolated? Slowly but surely these bigger mysteries get introduced, and explained. While this is the first book in a series, all plotlines are relatively neatly finished, without any cliffhangers. Yet I still wish I had the next book, because I want to read more about Jiyusetsu and her relationships with the people around her. I want to learn more about the Uhi.
The side characters are complex and interesting. I guess the emperor, Koujiyun, can almost be seen as a secondary character, he is the most developed and super interesting. Who is he behind his poker face? Jiyusetsu struggles to figure that out, though it's a bit easier for the reader (and the people around them xD).
Juju is such a precious girl, and I love her. She is so sweet, and I really hope we will learn more about her in the next volumes. As of now, she isn't very developed and plays a minor role, but her friendship with Jiyusetsu is really precious.
While there is plenty of court intrigues going on in the book, the characters we follow are all supportive and care for each other. The girls bond, the guys have a good bond, and despite there being class differences/rank differences, they aren't always obvious and often ignored by Jiyusetsu. Which might not be very time period accurate, but reads very well for a modern audience, imo. Jiyusetsu is a strong female protagonist, despite having her flaws, and struggling with herself and her past (and future).
I absolutely loved this book (That's why it's now 1 am despite me having work tomorrow), and I need to find time to go to a bookstory soondespite corona to pick up the rest of the series. I found there's also going to be an anime series in April, and I might have to pick that up too, even though I haven't watched anime in years. I kinda wanna finish the books first, so I don't get spoiled though xD.
It worked for this book as well, because I absolutely loved it.
This was my first time reading a historical fiction book in Japanese. This meant a lot of unfamiliar terms, but the book is clearly written for a modern audience, and it's very easy to understand, imo. It probably also helped that I was reading the English translation for The Tale of Genji, so I had some idea of court life. The Chinese terms and names were sometimes a bit difficult to remember, but the readings were repeated so often that I got used to them by the end.
On the surface, this book is about the Uhi-sama, Jiyusetsu, a special concubine, who has no relations with the emperor (or anyone else for that matter, she lives completely isolated). The Uhi has special powers. She can use them to find lost things, and missing people. To call down souls from heaven for a final conversation, or give ghosts eternal peace. She can curse people too, but the price is usually so high her customers decide it's not worth it.
Every chapter of the book (4 in total) has a different "case" for Jiyusetsu to solve, though they do blend into each other really smoothly. They don't feel like four short stories, it's clearly one story.
But that's not all that this book is. Jiyusetsu is such a wonderfully crafted character and seeing the development she went through in just this one book was wonderful. She went from being completely isolated and alone in her palace building, to sorta making friends. Her struggles with people are relatable and real. Especially considering she has been by herself for so long.
On top of that, there's a bigger mystery. What is the Uhi? Why does that position exist? Why is it so different from all other positions in the palace? Why does she have to be isolated? Slowly but surely these bigger mysteries get introduced, and explained. While this is the first book in a series, all plotlines are relatively neatly finished, without any cliffhangers. Yet I still wish I had the next book, because I want to read more about Jiyusetsu and her relationships with the people around her. I want to learn more about the Uhi.
The side characters are complex and interesting. I guess the emperor, Koujiyun, can almost be seen as a secondary character, he is the most developed and super interesting. Who is he behind his poker face? Jiyusetsu struggles to figure that out, though it's a bit easier for the reader (and the people around them xD).
Juju is such a precious girl, and I love her. She is so sweet, and I really hope we will learn more about her in the next volumes. As of now, she isn't very developed and plays a minor role, but her friendship with Jiyusetsu is really precious.
While there is plenty of court intrigues going on in the book, the characters we follow are all supportive and care for each other. The girls bond, the guys have a good bond, and despite there being class differences/rank differences, they aren't always obvious and often ignored by Jiyusetsu. Which might not be very time period accurate, but reads very well for a modern audience, imo. Jiyusetsu is a strong female protagonist, despite having her flaws, and struggling with herself and her past (and future).
I absolutely loved this book (That's why it's now 1 am despite me having work tomorrow), and I need to find time to go to a bookstory soon
June 19, 2024
Honestly, this light novel isn't perfect, but it's got that mysterious vibe that keeps me hooked and turning pages. Just wish they'd flesh out the characters more.
February 22, 2023
3.5 rounded up. I'm taking the half point off for the translation - this had more typos and redundancy than any other Seven Seas light novel I've read, and it was distracting. The story's great, though, and as an anime-first reader (not by choice, it's just the timing), I really appreciated getting more in Gao Jun/Koshun's head here.
July 31, 2024
Jusetsu ♡ Koshun
چقدر دوستش داشتم آخه- از قشنگترین اتفاقات امسالم آشنایی با این لایت ناول و انیمهاش بود:)))))
چقدر دوستش داشتم آخه- از قشنگترین اتفاقات امسالم آشنایی با این لایت ناول و انیمهاش بود:)))))
Want to read
February 2, 2023Finished the anime and I need more of the story. I don't think the English translation is out yet. If not it will be out soonish. I buying it...and the sequel. I really hope they renew the show for another season/part.
July 29, 2023
3.25 stars
Does it make sense when I say this book is aesthetically exactly what I love most? The Raven Consort, Jusetsu, mysteriously powerful in dealing with spirits and secrets, yet reclusive; locking herself up in the heart of the imperial grounds and only the emperor's consort in name. The Emperor himself, Koshun isn't exempt from the secrets shrouding the Raven Consort and feels really drawn to her magic and personality. I love the characters so much, what I just told you is barely scraping the surface of Jusetsu and Koshun's experiences, personalities and growth.
The book is divided into a few chapters, each focusing on a basically self-contained arc that slowly builds the world around us and uncovers more about Jusetsu and Koshun. I am really intrigued and definitely interested in picking up the next book in the series.
I do have complaints and my main one is at Seven Seas itself. Please tell me WHY a book translated and published by such a big publisher can be so ridden with silly grammatical mistakes that keep taking readers out of the story. I'm talking constant mistakes! It doesn't bother me that much but I can see how it can completely ruin some readers' experience. The writing itself is really simplistic, which I usually like but it is a little jarring for such a high fantasy world with complex characters. Again, I don't know if it might be the fault of a rush translation job with little editing, considering the existing typos.
Does it make sense when I say this book is aesthetically exactly what I love most? The Raven Consort, Jusetsu, mysteriously powerful in dealing with spirits and secrets, yet reclusive; locking herself up in the heart of the imperial grounds and only the emperor's consort in name. The Emperor himself, Koshun isn't exempt from the secrets shrouding the Raven Consort and feels really drawn to her magic and personality. I love the characters so much, what I just told you is barely scraping the surface of Jusetsu and Koshun's experiences, personalities and growth.
The book is divided into a few chapters, each focusing on a basically self-contained arc that slowly builds the world around us and uncovers more about Jusetsu and Koshun. I am really intrigued and definitely interested in picking up the next book in the series.
I do have complaints and my main one is at Seven Seas itself. Please tell me WHY a book translated and published by such a big publisher can be so ridden with silly grammatical mistakes that keep taking readers out of the story. I'm talking constant mistakes! It doesn't bother me that much but I can see how it can completely ruin some readers' experience. The writing itself is really simplistic, which I usually like but it is a little jarring for such a high fantasy world with complex characters. Again, I don't know if it might be the fault of a rush translation job with little editing, considering the existing typos.
April 17, 2023
Shh, don't judge me! I wanted a fluffy shoujo story and I love the world building in this one. Jusetsu is the prickly, magical type of goth girl heroine I'm looking for. The delicacy of emotion and the complexities of people are so well done in this series, with sympathy and female friendships and long hard looks at what is fair and what is freedom and what is love.
February 24, 2023
Un peu frustrée que ça représente que la première partie de l'anime bc i was dying to know la suite mais faudra sûrement attendre le 3eme tome qui sortira dans 150 ans jpp 💀 en tout cas c'était EXCELLENT si vous aimez le slowburn forbidden love historique avec du mystique je recommande fortement 👍
September 7, 2025
I think I’m already at the point of the story that’s about the middle of the anime. The fact that there’s seven volumes in this series shows just how much to the story there is compared to that one anime season. Both the anime and the light novel are good nonetheless, I just need to get used to the occasional wonkiness of the writing due to the translation. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Edit: this book also made me realize how weird anime subtitles sound as dialogue in a book lol
Edit: this book also made me realize how weird anime subtitles sound as dialogue in a book lol
March 14, 2024
I enjoyed this more than I expected. Jusetsu should be an unlikeable protagonist with how blunt and unrelentingly oblivious she can be to others feelings and emotions, but I found her character to be endearing in a shake-your-head kind of way. It’s also interesting how you slowly realize how she might not be the most reliable narrator and her experiences are shaping the way she goes about telling the events in the story. I had a similar thought with Koshun, how the way Jusetsu sees and presents him to the reader might not actually be the full picture. I liked the set up of the stories as well, and how they all gradually led up to the giant bomb shell being dropped at the end. I will definitely be continuing this series.
March 17, 2025
I started reading this novel on a whim. While going through several different books to see if any would capture my interest, I came across this one. Initially, I was planning to read simply the first page but the moment I was done with the first, I started craving to know more. And voila! I ended up reading this book.
Truth be told, it has a few hiccups. The narrative voice can get a bit meandering at times and Jusetsu, as well as the characters surrounding her, need more depth but at the same time, the plot is gripping. There's an atmosphere of mystery and eerie happenings that pervade throughout, keeping you at the edge of your seat (or at least that's how I felt). And though the ending was a bit anticlimactic, it still makes me curious about the next volume.
Truth be told, it has a few hiccups. The narrative voice can get a bit meandering at times and Jusetsu, as well as the characters surrounding her, need more depth but at the same time, the plot is gripping. There's an atmosphere of mystery and eerie happenings that pervade throughout, keeping you at the edge of your seat (or at least that's how I felt). And though the ending was a bit anticlimactic, it still makes me curious about the next volume.
April 26, 2023
Historical fiction meets court intrigue meets supernatural mystery. This is a series that has it all and it works.
As of volume 1, Raven of the Inner Palace is an episodic series following the Raven Consort, Jusetsu, as she solves various ghostly and cursed-related problems within the inner palace of the emperor. She is called a "consort" but owes no loyalty to the emperor. In fact, she's actually quite rude to the emperor and he's so laid back that he just rolls with it. These two have such a great dynamic and I love them to pieces.
Read this for the characters. Everyone is the best, hands down. Also the world building.
10/10. Highly recommend.
As of volume 1, Raven of the Inner Palace is an episodic series following the Raven Consort, Jusetsu, as she solves various ghostly and cursed-related problems within the inner palace of the emperor. She is called a "consort" but owes no loyalty to the emperor. In fact, she's actually quite rude to the emperor and he's so laid back that he just rolls with it. These two have such a great dynamic and I love them to pieces.
Read this for the characters. Everyone is the best, hands down. Also the world building.
10/10. Highly recommend.
November 6, 2024
The Raven Consort is a mysterious figure in the palace life, a 16-year old girl, a consort without night-time duties who can help talk with the dead, deal with ghosts and supposedly even curse others. When the young emperor visits her for the first time to deal with a ghost haunting a jade earring he supposedly found, the two get more involved through that first case, and later because she raised the emperor's interest.
The Raven of the Inner Palace is an intriguing low-fantasy story, a romance with several mysteries of a supernatural nature (mostly ghosts) set at the Inner Palace of a Chinese-like Imperial court. The characters are interesting, as are the stories, mostly tied to various tragedies of palace life (including one violent change of a dynasty), but with hints of an overarching story in regards to the nature of the Raven Consort. The pacing is slow though, especially of the romance, and there is always the question about the number of ghosts and why if they are so easy to create, people are not more respectful to those with the talent to deal with them although admittedly most don't pose much of a threat to the living.
Still, I found it a very enjoyable read, a book I took up due to the recently aired anime, a good adaptation but the LN does provide some more details and I am looking forward to the translation of future volumes.
The Raven of the Inner Palace is an intriguing low-fantasy story, a romance with several mysteries of a supernatural nature (mostly ghosts) set at the Inner Palace of a Chinese-like Imperial court. The characters are interesting, as are the stories, mostly tied to various tragedies of palace life (including one violent change of a dynasty), but with hints of an overarching story in regards to the nature of the Raven Consort. The pacing is slow though, especially of the romance, and there is always the question about the number of ghosts and why if they are so easy to create, people are not more respectful to those with the talent to deal with them although admittedly most don't pose much of a threat to the living.
Still, I found it a very enjoyable read, a book I took up due to the recently aired anime, a good adaptation but the LN does provide some more details and I am looking forward to the translation of future volumes.
April 11, 2024
The last chapter made me want to continue the series, but I really really hope it becomes a bit less episodic in its form because it feels like reading a TV show made in late 90, early 2000.
The nature of the Raven Consort's magic is not super clear either. She does help ghost and such, but it's unclear what she can and cannot do. It isn't well explained, or explained at all for that matter.
It also seems like the world outside their own is not fully fleshed. The inner palace doesn't seem to exist outside of the "cases" that are investigated.
I did like the characters and some of the "mystery" behind their history, lives and such. I'm curious about the main characters relationship.
Hopefully it improves narratively, but also, I wish Seven Seas did better proofreading because the frequency of mistakes at the end of the first chapter really pissed me off. I usually don't mind a certain amount of mistakes in a translation, but this was next level careless and made we feel like the publisher didn't care enough about the series to do better.
The nature of the Raven Consort's magic is not super clear either. She does help ghost and such, but it's unclear what she can and cannot do. It isn't well explained, or explained at all for that matter.
It also seems like the world outside their own is not fully fleshed. The inner palace doesn't seem to exist outside of the "cases" that are investigated.
I did like the characters and some of the "mystery" behind their history, lives and such. I'm curious about the main characters relationship.
Hopefully it improves narratively, but also, I wish Seven Seas did better proofreading because the frequency of mistakes at the end of the first chapter really pissed me off. I usually don't mind a certain amount of mistakes in a translation, but this was next level careless and made we feel like the publisher didn't care enough about the series to do better.
December 25, 2023
女主咬文嚼字的部分有感受到翻譯的用心，原著跟動畫有些不一樣的地方，但主線故事都一樣，改得不錯。
發現動畫跟小說有點不一樣後，我就開始同步重看動畫。沒想到油腔滑調的「淡海」第一集都沒出現，害我一度以為他是動畫組原創的角色...改最多的則是皇帝的貼身宦官「衛青」，動畫組幫他多加了可憐的身世（還是下一本的內容？），對烏妃的敵意也更深，變成內心世界很複雜的配角。同時也把他跟烏妃的戲份分了一些給「溫瑩」，不然溫瑩在小說裡的存在感好低，只出現一次，看到最後都快忘記他了...
其他還有一些小改的地方像是明珠公主頭上的梳子顏色不一樣，六位皇族的排列順序也不一樣，這種太細節的部分不做筆記的話，我看完一定會忘記～然後肖像畫的畫風好唐朝（？）超不像本人，確定同個人嗎？有一集宮女也是上一集跟下一集長得完全不一樣＠＠ 雖然動畫配樂很棒，但畫面上有蠻多異想不到的問題....
其他都很還原，像是那個地圖，真的跟原著寫的一樣，中間有個小島＋四周都是大海紋＋兩邊的果樹園。最精彩的冬夏之王篇也做得很好，先出花瓣再變火焰，配上那個配樂超好看～
第一集剛好到動畫EP7，雖然魚型飾品跟我看想的顏色不太一樣，但台詞都沒改，用他們從一起喝茶來練習當好朋友收尾，真是太美好了～超愛這個故事！
發現動畫跟小說有點不一樣後，我就開始同步重看動畫。沒想到油腔滑調的「淡海」第一集都沒出現，害我一度以為他是動畫組原創的角色...改最多的則是皇帝的貼身宦官「衛青」，動畫組幫他多加了可憐的身世（還是下一本的內容？），對烏妃的敵意也更深，變成內心世界很複雜的配角。同時也把他跟烏妃的戲份分了一些給「溫瑩」，不然溫瑩在小說裡的存在感好低，只出現一次，看到最後都快忘記他了...
其他還有一些小改的地方像是明珠公主頭上的梳子顏色不一樣，六位皇族的排列順序也不一樣，這種太細節的部分不做筆記的話，我看完一定會忘記～然後肖像畫的畫風好唐朝（？）超不像本人，確定同個人嗎？有一集宮女也是上一集跟下一集長得完全不一樣＠＠ 雖然動畫配樂很棒，但畫面上有蠻多異想不到的問題....
其他都很還原，像是那個地圖，真的跟原著寫的一樣，中間有個小島＋四周都是大海紋＋兩邊的果樹園。最精彩的冬夏之王篇也做得很好，先出花瓣再變火焰，配上那個配樂超好看～
第一集剛好到動畫EP7，雖然魚型飾品跟我看想的顏色不太一樣，但台詞都沒改，用他們從一起喝茶來練習當好朋友收尾，真是太美好了～超愛這個故事！
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2024
This was ok.
I expected more fantasy, liked the drama and character interactions, not the world building.
The story consists of little mysteries around ghosts being solved thanks to the main character's magic and the emperor's authority, usually by learning about the ghost's bittersweet past. The mysteries are very simplified. It worked well with this kind of straight forward narrative though it got repetitive and sometimes boring.
The main characters reflect on their pasts and position within the palace throughout the story as they open up to each other little by little. This was my favorite thing about this book together with the small details in the dialogues and the interesting history and myths of the world (not fully explored in this volume though).
My main disappointment was the lack of enough information about the magic system. It's not like there aren't any explanations but I needed more to judge whether a situation is risky or not. I felt absolutely no tension whenever magic was involved.
I expected more fantasy, liked the drama and character interactions, not the world building.
The story consists of little mysteries around ghosts being solved thanks to the main character's magic and the emperor's authority, usually by learning about the ghost's bittersweet past. The mysteries are very simplified. It worked well with this kind of straight forward narrative though it got repetitive and sometimes boring.
The main characters reflect on their pasts and position within the palace throughout the story as they open up to each other little by little. This was my favorite thing about this book together with the small details in the dialogues and the interesting history and myths of the world (not fully explored in this volume though).
My main disappointment was the lack of enough information about the magic system. It's not like there aren't any explanations but I needed more to judge whether a situation is risky or not. I felt absolutely no tension whenever magic was involved.
April 16, 2024
knocking it down a star cuz why this book got typos :| the dynamic between jusetsu and koshun brings me joy, especially by the end of this volume :’) jusetsu gets a little annoying with her whole emotionally distant thing like pls girly ppl just wanna care for u but she’s not intolerable and i have hope she opens her heart 🫶 each story part was also interesting. looking forward to the next one!
April 24, 2025
I have watched the Anime first and really enjoyed the story so I was very happy when I found out that there was a light novel series out.
And I also enjoyed the novel, despite me giving three stars. However, the writing was really not that good. There were mistakes and so many repititions, which were annoying and made the story drag instead of flow. Sometimes the choices of words in a sentence seemed odd, too. I can not say what source material the translator was given to work with but I hope that a little more care was taken with the next volumes (fingers crossed).
I am looking forward to reading more of the story and will continue the series.
And I also enjoyed the novel, despite me giving three stars. However, the writing was really not that good. There were mistakes and so many repititions, which were annoying and made the story drag instead of flow. Sometimes the choices of words in a sentence seemed odd, too. I can not say what source material the translator was given to work with but I hope that a little more care was taken with the next volumes (fingers crossed).
I am looking forward to reading more of the story and will continue the series.
May 1, 2023
3.75
October 4, 2023
Glad I read and bought this book! Loved everything about it!
August 23, 2024
Great book but the translation/editing has some mistakes which were a little annoying to read
Would recommend the anime too they did a great job following the book
Would recommend the anime too they did a great job following the book
November 3, 2024
Chtela jsem tomu dat 4, ale za ten konec 4,5*.😍
November 18, 2025
3.25 Stars
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February 28, 2026Is this considered a light novel just because it is Japanese? Because there are no illustrations. It’s all novel.
May 20, 2025
I really love Jusetsu and Koshun's tension and the slow buildup of their love
At the start, I didn't really love the book but after around 70 pages, when jusetsu became more likeable, I was actively looking forward to read the book which is rare for me.
I think my favourite chapter was the flower whistle one.
I really liked how everything wrapped up nicely in this novel but it still hints at more so u still look forward to reading the second book, but if you don't ur still content.
At the start, I didn't really love the book but after around 70 pages, when jusetsu became more likeable, I was actively looking forward to read the book which is rare for me.
I think my favourite chapter was the flower whistle one.
I really liked how everything wrapped up nicely in this novel but it still hints at more so u still look forward to reading the second book, but if you don't ur still content.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2024
Raven of the Inner Palace is a show that I see pop up a lot and people LOVE it. I think it might be a stronger product visually.
I like the characters, the mysteries, the backstory behind the Raven consort herself. But if we're setting up a backstory with the Prince? I know it's part of history that the princes then had several wives / concubines, but I did not feel he had any strong feelings for her or she for him. She seemed annoyed by him but the inner monologue you got had her not so annoyed.
I decided to pick up Book 2 but it's not HIGH on my list to dive into quite yet.
I like the characters, the mysteries, the backstory behind the Raven consort herself. But if we're setting up a backstory with the Prince? I know it's part of history that the princes then had several wives / concubines, but I did not feel he had any strong feelings for her or she for him. She seemed annoyed by him but the inner monologue you got had her not so annoyed.
I decided to pick up Book 2 but it's not HIGH on my list to dive into quite yet.
October 28, 2024
J'avais découvert cette série avec la série animée sortie à l'automne 2022 (qui couvre les romans 1 à 3 de mémoire) et j'avais adoré au point qu'après recherche, j'avais commencé à lire une traduction du roman par un-e (des ?) fan-s avant de commencer à acheter les romans traduits en anglais. Mais avec les délais entre chaque roman, j'avais décidé d'attendre d'avoir le dernier pour tout lire d'un coup, en recommençant depuis le début.
J'avais oublié à quel point c'est facile à lire et difficile de poser le roman avant la fin.
J'avais oublié à quel point c'est facile à lire et difficile de poser le roman avant la fin.
March 18, 2023
Really sweet series of short fantasy mysteries solved by the raven consort, a woman that has cool death powers linked to flowers that catch fire… I did love this book, the first chapter had a rocky start where places were described as looking a certain way under the moonlight, but right now there is no moonlight so it actually dosnt look like that at all (???) I also spent awhile trying to work out what a voice sounds like if it’s similar to the sun shining through the branches of trees (or something like that)
Buuut it got a lot better after the first chapter and the stories and characters were interesting enough to make me forget the initial confusion. All in all nice chill read that’s good fun 👍 I do find it amusing how many of these harem stories have such devoted monogamous men 😂 it’s like Bond movies for women ‘he’s so in to me he wont even sleep with all the other readily available women’
Buuut it got a lot better after the first chapter and the stories and characters were interesting enough to make me forget the initial confusion. All in all nice chill read that’s good fun 👍 I do find it amusing how many of these harem stories have such devoted monogamous men 😂 it’s like Bond movies for women ‘he’s so in to me he wont even sleep with all the other readily available women’
April 16, 2024
4,5
"Raven of the Inner Palace" è stato uno degli anime che ho apprezzato di più lo scorso anno. Io continuo a sperare nell'annuncio di una seconda stagione, ma per ora mi accontento di leggere le light novel. E questo primo volume mi ha fatto davvero un'ottima impressione, soprattutto a livello di personaggi.
Nei meandri della Corte Interna vive la misteriosa Raven Consort, la Consorte Corvo - una figura misteriosa che, a dispetto del titolo di consorte, non ha rapporti intimi con l'imperatore, ma che, stando alle voci che girano per il palazzo, possiede dei poteri particolari che le permettono di esaudire qualsiasi richiesta. L'attuale Consorte Corvo è Jusetsu, una ragazzina di 16 anni, scelta dalla dea che serve e adottata dalla consorte precedente.Vive in completa solitudine, almeno fino a quando non si presenta sulla sua porta l'imperatore Koshun e da lì in poi la vita di Jusetsu inizierà a prendere una piega diversa. Koshun si presenta al suo cospetto per chiederle aiuto per rintracciare il proprietario di un orecchino di giada ritrovato in giro: inizialmente, Jusetsu non si mostra molto amichevole (zero timore reverenziale), ma poi, dopo varie visite non richieste, decide di aiutarlo. La verità è che Koshun aveva sì una richiesta da presentargli, ma, allo stesso tempo, prova molto interesse per questa figura misteriosa, tanto da a) continuare a farle visita un giorno sì e l'altro pure, comportandosi come se fosse a casa sua (con somma irritazione della ragazza) e b) iniziare a fare domande in giro per capire le vere origini della Consorte Corvo.
A dispetto dei continui battibecchi (battibecchi a senso unico, visto che Koshun non si scompone mai), a dispetto delle storie personali molto diverse, Jusetsu e Koshun hanno molti punti in comune e le loro vite sono intrecciate:
- entrambi si portano dietro il senso di colpa per la morte delle rispettive madri. Nessuno dei due aveva la possibilità di fare qualcosa - Jusetsu era solo una bambina, Koshun era leggermente più grande, ma vittima un po' del suo orgoglio e un po' delle trame di palazzo -, ma si tratta comunque di un dolore che non è mai venuto meno, nemmeno ad anni di distanza. Senza contare che la nostra giovane Consorte appartiene alla precedente dinastia regnante - dinastia quasi completamente sterminata per ordine del nonno di Koshun, bambini inclusi, e su cui pende ancora un ordine di cattura ed esecuzione nel caso in cui dovessero saltare fuori dei superstiti (ti credo che il vecchio aveva paura dei fantasmi di quei poveretti...);
- come confermato dai loro nomi, che contengono riferimenti all'estate e all'inverno, Koshun e Jusetsu stanno ricreando la stessa dinamica alla base delle storie che documentano la nascita della figura della Consorte Corvo. Nei tempi antichi la pace era mantenuta dal Sovrano dell'Estate, che si occupava delle questioni amministrative e politiche, e da quello dell'Inverno, una donna prescelta dalla dea della notte Uren Ninagniang che invece gestiva tutta la parte dedicata ai riti e alle cerimonie. Una pace che si è interrotta con la morte della seconda per mano del primo, una pace ristabilita solo diversi secoli dopo grazie al primo imperatore della dinastia Ran, che si porterà dietro la nuova Sovrana dell'Inverno: solo che questa volta non sarà più un rapporto alla pari. Da Sovrana si passa a Consorte - una consorte chiamata a vivere in completo isolamento, senza la possibilità di uscire dal palazzo imperiale, una figura secondaria in modo da poter mettere in risalto l'importanza del Sovrano dell'Estate. Mosso da sincera compassione (e forse pure da qualcos'altro), Koshun si impegnerà a cambiare le cose e a trattare Jusetsu con il rispetto che merita per via della sua posizione. Sono abbastanza sicura che nei prossimi volumi ci saranno altre rivelazioni, anche perché c'è qualcuno a corte che sa più di quanto dice sia per quanto riguarda la figura della Consorte Corvo, sia riguardo il culto della dea Uren;
- sono due persone fondamentalmente solitarie. Nel caso di Jusetsu, si tratta di un'imposizione destinata a durare per la vita: d'altra parte è stata scelta dalla dea Uren quando era solo una bambina ed è stata cresciuta seguendo un semplice mantra, la Consorte Corvo non intrattiene rapporti con altri. Eppure nel corso di questo primo volume, la vediamo aprirsi, con un po' di difficoltà, agli altri, tanto da ritrovarsi in casa una dama di compagnia, un paio di domestiche, una guardia del corpo, una consorte, eunuchi vari e l'imperatore in persona. Per lei non sarà facile perché spesso cercherà di rifarsi alle regole con cui è stata cresciuta, ma adesso è impossibile tornare alla completa solitudine a cui si era abituata. Certo, non è molto sciolta nel campo delle relazioni interpersonali, ma non mi sento di criticarla. Koshun sarà pure l'imperatore, ma è un personaggio davvero particolare: tanto per dirne una, la consorte che visita più spesso è l'unica che non è tenuta a passare la notte con lui. Bene ma non benissimo. Ha avuto un'infanzia molto difficile, ha provato sulla sua pelle la crudeltà di un ambiente complicato come quello della corte imperiale (un ambiente che gli ha portato via la madre e un amico importante). Dietro la sua maschera di indifferenza si nascondono diverse emozioni potenti - il dolore per la perdita delle persone amate, il senso di colpa, l'odio senza freni per l'imperatrice vedova (che continua anche dopo l'esecuzione di quest'ultima), i sentimenti legati a Jusetsu (curiosità, pietà, empatia, amicizia, e....questo lo scopriremo solo vivendo, di sicuro pure lei sta iniziando a provare qualcosa). Dubito che sarà mai il focus della storia, ma io sento comunque odore di ship! Diciamo che si sono trovati, ecco.
Oltre a seguire l'evoluzione dei personaggi, grazie ai vari casi che vengono trattati, il lettore scopre vari dettagli interessanti riguardo la struttura della corte e i rapporti di forza del suo interno - lungi dall'essere un luogo splendido splendente, la corte ha fatto da sfondo alle violenze più efferate (solitamente a rimetterci erano gli indifesi, come sempre) -, ma anche per quanto riguarda i poteri spirituali di Jusetsu e la mitologia alla base delle vicende trattate. Jusetsu è spesso chiamata a risolvere misteri, a ridare pace a fantasmi e anime che, per qualche motivo, non hanno ancora preso la strada per il Paradiso. Come detto in precedenza, mi aspetto ulteriori rivelazioni nei prossimo volumi.
In conclusione, ho apprezzato molto questo primo volume. I personaggi sono il vero punto di forza di quest'opera - in particolare Jusetsu, verso cui ho provato molta tenerezza e compassione (comprendo benissimo le sensazioni di Koshun), alla fine si tratta di una ragazzina intrappolata da un destino che le è stato imposto e solo ora, per la prima volta, può contare sull'affetto di persone che le sono sinceramente affezionate e che vogliono il suo bene (e poi mi fa piegare la facilità con cui si fa corrompere quando qualcuno le mette sotto il naso del buon cibo, un po' la capisco). Visto che ho già recuperato i prossimi numeri, penso che andrò avanti leggendone uno al mese. E magari ci scappa pure un rewatch dell'anime!
Super promosso!
"Raven of the Inner Palace" è stato uno degli anime che ho apprezzato di più lo scorso anno. Io continuo a sperare nell'annuncio di una seconda stagione, ma per ora mi accontento di leggere le light novel. E questo primo volume mi ha fatto davvero un'ottima impressione, soprattutto a livello di personaggi.
Nei meandri della Corte Interna vive la misteriosa Raven Consort, la Consorte Corvo - una figura misteriosa che, a dispetto del titolo di consorte, non ha rapporti intimi con l'imperatore, ma che, stando alle voci che girano per il palazzo, possiede dei poteri particolari che le permettono di esaudire qualsiasi richiesta. L'attuale Consorte Corvo è Jusetsu, una ragazzina di 16 anni, scelta dalla dea che serve e adottata dalla consorte precedente.Vive in completa solitudine, almeno fino a quando non si presenta sulla sua porta l'imperatore Koshun e da lì in poi la vita di Jusetsu inizierà a prendere una piega diversa. Koshun si presenta al suo cospetto per chiederle aiuto per rintracciare il proprietario di un orecchino di giada ritrovato in giro: inizialmente, Jusetsu non si mostra molto amichevole (zero timore reverenziale), ma poi, dopo varie visite non richieste, decide di aiutarlo. La verità è che Koshun aveva sì una richiesta da presentargli, ma, allo stesso tempo, prova molto interesse per questa figura misteriosa, tanto da a) continuare a farle visita un giorno sì e l'altro pure, comportandosi come se fosse a casa sua (con somma irritazione della ragazza) e b) iniziare a fare domande in giro per capire le vere origini della Consorte Corvo.
A dispetto dei continui battibecchi (battibecchi a senso unico, visto che Koshun non si scompone mai), a dispetto delle storie personali molto diverse, Jusetsu e Koshun hanno molti punti in comune e le loro vite sono intrecciate:
- entrambi si portano dietro il senso di colpa per la morte delle rispettive madri. Nessuno dei due aveva la possibilità di fare qualcosa - Jusetsu era solo una bambina, Koshun era leggermente più grande, ma vittima un po' del suo orgoglio e un po' delle trame di palazzo -, ma si tratta comunque di un dolore che non è mai venuto meno, nemmeno ad anni di distanza. Senza contare che la nostra giovane Consorte appartiene alla precedente dinastia regnante - dinastia quasi completamente sterminata per ordine del nonno di Koshun, bambini inclusi, e su cui pende ancora un ordine di cattura ed esecuzione nel caso in cui dovessero saltare fuori dei superstiti (ti credo che il vecchio aveva paura dei fantasmi di quei poveretti...);
- come confermato dai loro nomi, che contengono riferimenti all'estate e all'inverno, Koshun e Jusetsu stanno ricreando la stessa dinamica alla base delle storie che documentano la nascita della figura della Consorte Corvo. Nei tempi antichi la pace era mantenuta dal Sovrano dell'Estate, che si occupava delle questioni amministrative e politiche, e da quello dell'Inverno, una donna prescelta dalla dea della notte Uren Ninagniang che invece gestiva tutta la parte dedicata ai riti e alle cerimonie. Una pace che si è interrotta con la morte della seconda per mano del primo, una pace ristabilita solo diversi secoli dopo grazie al primo imperatore della dinastia Ran, che si porterà dietro la nuova Sovrana dell'Inverno: solo che questa volta non sarà più un rapporto alla pari. Da Sovrana si passa a Consorte - una consorte chiamata a vivere in completo isolamento, senza la possibilità di uscire dal palazzo imperiale, una figura secondaria in modo da poter mettere in risalto l'importanza del Sovrano dell'Estate. Mosso da sincera compassione (e forse pure da qualcos'altro), Koshun si impegnerà a cambiare le cose e a trattare Jusetsu con il rispetto che merita per via della sua posizione. Sono abbastanza sicura che nei prossimi volumi ci saranno altre rivelazioni, anche perché c'è qualcuno a corte che sa più di quanto dice sia per quanto riguarda la figura della Consorte Corvo, sia riguardo il culto della dea Uren;
- sono due persone fondamentalmente solitarie. Nel caso di Jusetsu, si tratta di un'imposizione destinata a durare per la vita: d'altra parte è stata scelta dalla dea Uren quando era solo una bambina ed è stata cresciuta seguendo un semplice mantra, la Consorte Corvo non intrattiene rapporti con altri. Eppure nel corso di questo primo volume, la vediamo aprirsi, con un po' di difficoltà, agli altri, tanto da ritrovarsi in casa una dama di compagnia, un paio di domestiche, una guardia del corpo, una consorte, eunuchi vari e l'imperatore in persona. Per lei non sarà facile perché spesso cercherà di rifarsi alle regole con cui è stata cresciuta, ma adesso è impossibile tornare alla completa solitudine a cui si era abituata. Certo, non è molto sciolta nel campo delle relazioni interpersonali, ma non mi sento di criticarla. Koshun sarà pure l'imperatore, ma è un personaggio davvero particolare: tanto per dirne una, la consorte che visita più spesso è l'unica che non è tenuta a passare la notte con lui. Bene ma non benissimo. Ha avuto un'infanzia molto difficile, ha provato sulla sua pelle la crudeltà di un ambiente complicato come quello della corte imperiale (un ambiente che gli ha portato via la madre e un amico importante). Dietro la sua maschera di indifferenza si nascondono diverse emozioni potenti - il dolore per la perdita delle persone amate, il senso di colpa, l'odio senza freni per l'imperatrice vedova (che continua anche dopo l'esecuzione di quest'ultima), i sentimenti legati a Jusetsu (curiosità, pietà, empatia, amicizia, e....questo lo scopriremo solo vivendo, di sicuro pure lei sta iniziando a provare qualcosa). Dubito che sarà mai il focus della storia, ma io sento comunque odore di ship! Diciamo che si sono trovati, ecco.
Oltre a seguire l'evoluzione dei personaggi, grazie ai vari casi che vengono trattati, il lettore scopre vari dettagli interessanti riguardo la struttura della corte e i rapporti di forza del suo interno - lungi dall'essere un luogo splendido splendente, la corte ha fatto da sfondo alle violenze più efferate (solitamente a rimetterci erano gli indifesi, come sempre) -, ma anche per quanto riguarda i poteri spirituali di Jusetsu e la mitologia alla base delle vicende trattate. Jusetsu è spesso chiamata a risolvere misteri, a ridare pace a fantasmi e anime che, per qualche motivo, non hanno ancora preso la strada per il Paradiso. Come detto in precedenza, mi aspetto ulteriori rivelazioni nei prossimo volumi.
In conclusione, ho apprezzato molto questo primo volume. I personaggi sono il vero punto di forza di quest'opera - in particolare Jusetsu, verso cui ho provato molta tenerezza e compassione (comprendo benissimo le sensazioni di Koshun), alla fine si tratta di una ragazzina intrappolata da un destino che le è stato imposto e solo ora, per la prima volta, può contare sull'affetto di persone che le sono sinceramente affezionate e che vogliono il suo bene (e poi mi fa piegare la facilità con cui si fa corrompere quando qualcuno le mette sotto il naso del buon cibo, un po' la capisco). Visto che ho già recuperato i prossimi numeri, penso che andrò avanti leggendone uno al mese. E magari ci scappa pure un rewatch dell'anime!
Super promosso!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2024
Going into this, I did not know this was written by a Japanese author so the names confused me. I wanted to read this because the anime looked really pretty and so did the novel cover. Unfortunately I dropped the anime because I had trouble getting used to hearing Japanese dialogue when my senses were telling me this is ancient China.
Although I did complete the novel, I was not really immersed in the story. I don't know if it's because I got used to typical ancient China palace intrigues and schemes, but this story did not give me the same vibe. I reckon it is because the author is not Chinese. She did not use the same cliches, and while cliches can be repetitive, I realized from reading this novel that it is the cliches that gave those stories a particular flavor I had become accustomed to.
I feel like there was too much telling and not enough showing in the story-telling. And some side character stories end before I can really bring myself to empathize with their struggles. Overall, I was disappointed, but perhaps because I raised my expectations too high for the sake of a pretty cover. Regardless, I was surprised to find that Japanese authors are writing stories set in ancient China. Maybe I will try reading another one in the future.
Although I did complete the novel, I was not really immersed in the story. I don't know if it's because I got used to typical ancient China palace intrigues and schemes, but this story did not give me the same vibe. I reckon it is because the author is not Chinese. She did not use the same cliches, and while cliches can be repetitive, I realized from reading this novel that it is the cliches that gave those stories a particular flavor I had become accustomed to.
I feel like there was too much telling and not enough showing in the story-telling. And some side character stories end before I can really bring myself to empathize with their struggles. Overall, I was disappointed, but perhaps because I raised my expectations too high for the sake of a pretty cover. Regardless, I was surprised to find that Japanese authors are writing stories set in ancient China. Maybe I will try reading another one in the future.
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