If you don't like slow life type of light novels, you're not going to like this. Point blank, don't read it and come back here to complain that it's boring because I'm giving the warning now.

It's a chill story with a simple premise and thats all it is really. If you want to unwind and just read something to relax it's pretty good. Don't expect much and you'll end up enjoying it better that way.

till the current chapter translation is really good and then I force myself to read the source but.....

the novel become really bland, cliche story and no character development, all the character's personality changing every arc just for the sake of current arc. there are no character development in every character, the author just blatant changing every character personality, trait, intelligence and power, the only remain the same is the master alchemist just because she rarely appear. at the current arc the MC's companion is smart and street-wise but then the... more>> next arc they become so s*upid that you wonder, are they really the same character ? then the next arc, change again become a lovestruck maiden with no cause, the next arc again suddenly become GENIUS compareable with the MC.

btw the MC also not out from this changing personality, from cold blooded to enemy become a smile person n forgiving the enemy with just "sorry n smile" (even thought the enemy do farr worse than previous arc) then change back at another arc, MC is a calculated poor child with little money but then threw an item that worth, she herself cannot buy it to save her friend n antagonist character, at the end of the arc "forget it, it just item that no one can afford to buy in this place" then the antagonis live happily ever after without care for thus super duper expensive item used to saving his life n mistake. but then the next arc one of people close to her break something cheap then she said "you need to pay it in full !" (with really angry expression) , this personality keep changing in every arc with no base.

my conclusion is the author don't have any more idea to make new character (maybe forget his own character) n new story. ah yuri romance not even started in latest chapter at source. <<less

OK, I'll admit it, It's cute. Having said that, in my opinion three stars is probably generous. I'm giving it 3 stars though because I feel like a majority of Slice of Life fans are willing to overlook a lot of the things I have a lot of issues with.

In my eyes it's just not written very well.

My main complaint is that there are just a lot of inconsistancies. The MC will say one thing and then the next chapter, or sometimes the same chapter, they say something competely different.... more>> It honestly feels like the author has a habbit of not re-reading what they previously wrote. Most people have magic power and mages are said to be a thing but the MC is the only person who uses magic basically at all so far. The regions lord is "incompetent" but there aren't very many bandits in the region because his army regularly hunts them down. They are right next to a well known resource rich area that is known to be a popular spot for collecters (this stories version of adventurers basically) but there doesn't seem to be any one with any real sort of fighting prowess at all. There are a lot more examples. Once you start thinking critically about it the whole story kinda falls apart pretty fast.

There is another thing that really bugs me but I don't know if it's the fault of the author or the translator or just a product of the process of translating from Japanese to English. I might be the only one this bothers but, more than a few times the writting feels stiff or needlessly specific. A lot of the interactions, especially early on feel quite unatural and souless. Some times the characters will say things which, if said in real life, would leave most people wondering if the other person was trying to be condescending or trying to make a joke.

Dispite all the irregularities, you can probably enjoy it if you are a big fan of the genre and just want to read something cute without giving it any thought. In my opinion though, you can find slice of life novels written much better than this pretty easily. <<less

This is quite literally a textbook example of slice of life genre, but with alchemy and magic involved. Most of the charm comes from the worldbuilding involved - learning how things work like magic stones and the process of alchemy itself. If you enjoy Ascendance of a Bookworm, I think you'd like this novel. Every chapter there is a problem faced by MC, and she solves it with the help of her skills, intellect, and good nature. A family-friendly read!

It's really slice of life. There are some adventures but it doesn't become important on country scale, characters have enough personality to be memorable, no major plot holes or overly s*upid characters (so far) but it's slice of life. If you dislike the genre, don't read it.

Why Read It?
It's a snack, a relaxing and easy to digest\read novel.
No mindbending, deep tension incurring, worldspanning\ending stuff happens.
In short, if you're after a relaxing read then I do heartily recommend it.

Story:
Follow Sarasa as she graduates as an alchemist and gets her own shop. It's a light story about her life in a slife of life manner. As such, don't expect an epic tale of a hero saving the world. Instead, experience myriads of small stories that Sarasa experience as she runs the alchemy shop. Think helping out collectors, solving issues with her shop\alchemy, going on a journey to collect ingredients and learning how to craft new stuff.
Small things that can be interesting and relaxing to read about, but isn't part of a greater narrative (other than it being the life of Sarasa).
To wrap it up, i'd say the story is good for what it is.

Writing:
It's good, this is where this kind of writing and narrative works. It's simple and easy to digest while being interesting. I do recommend healthy breaks though, or the writing AND story can get boring if digesting too much (Aka don't bingeread this).

Characters:
The MC is ok, her friends is ok. Nothing special or unique and thats fine. They do they're job fine enough and there's not too many cliche bad guys in here (thank god).