I wouldn't call this my favorite novel, but it definitely is enjoyable and very nicely translated. Plus it has what I came here for.😉😏

Background: Raha, the FL, is a princess who inherited the "eyes of the successor". This made the rest of her family hate her because the "eyes" were supposed to go to the heir of the throne, Raha's twin brother. Enraged, her brother then develops a complex and, to prove that he is strong and the rightful ruler, goes on a military conquests across the continent, taking over... more>> any country he can get his hands on. He also develops a crazy obsession with the FL. Because the "eyes" protect her from danger, he can't ever hurt her, so instead cages her and adorns her with jewelry and gives her "s*x s*aves" from his conquests, while keeping an extremely tight leash on her. It's during one of these conquests that the FL's brother captures the ML and gifts him to the FL. Because the FL hasn't had anyone close to her before she grows attached to the ML. And there is lots of smut.

Opinions:

The FL is interesting. She's trapped by her crazy brother and doesn't have anyone to support her, but still tries to make the most of the situation. That doesn't mean she's a pushover. She can be cruel when needed, but is also kind and tries to help those in need. I love how smart she is. She's not a super genius but has learned how to handle her brother and play politics to protect herself.

The ML is where this story falls short. I don't find him very interesting. Although we still don't know much about him, at chapter 54, I find him rather dull and a flat character.

I came her for the smut, but actually stayed because of the FL and her crazy brother. 😂 And the amazing translation!

Overall Rating: 7 <<less

Since no one is writing an early review of this exciting novel, I will. Though it's still too early to give an overall review, I think an initial reaction would be acceptable. The story's premise has potential and is intriguing, especially the complex female lead, Raha, the mysterious, s*ave-male lead, Shed, and the mad twin brother, Karzen. These characters have their roles, but I can't say much information when there are few translated chapters.

I can't accurately describe Raha as she's a bit odd in some areas. She's empathetic in her... more>> peculiar ways. However, it might come off as pretentious; Raha is just a sad, cold, and lost soul. Aside from her current status as a "doll princess" created by her crazy twin brother, if power is given to her, she has the potential to be as cunning and cold-blooded as her twin. Raha gives off the vibe of 'not caring enough to give anyone sympathy when my situation is as f*cked up as yours, ' her cold reasoning of lowering herself and her tendency to be resigned of her pitiful life is a bit painful to read. She feels so empty that you'll be able to think she can't escape her fate of a caged bird. Even though she's smart and perceptive, she can't move that much because of how much power her brother wields, so she has no option but to be submissive. To add, her reputation is hanging loosely, all according to Karzen's schemes.

Karzen has a sister complex to Raha to the point of having a questionable obsession to either kill her, giving a twisted brotherly love, or just a predator on the prowl. Aside from being a typical blood-crazed tyrant, Karzen is likely to harbor dangerous feelings for her twin sister (I hope this is not the case, but since he has a love-hate relationship with Raha, he might be, but then this assumption of mine can be wrong as the POV is limited) then there's also the mysterious s*ave whom we haven't heard of his point of view yet, except to his obvious s*xual attraction to Raha, Shed certainly is planning something in the shadows that has to deal with Karzen in some point. So I think that Shed and Karzen will eventually fight to possess Raha. The fun part hasn't started yet, and while the smut is definitely consensually hot, our girl Raha ain't passive in bed either. <<less

It's dark, it's angsty, it's sexy, and I'm very much intrigued to see just how much worse things can get for everyone involved.

The lead couple manages to somehow walk the line of power imbalances in a way that doesn't turn me off. Their dynamic has the salaciousness of a master and a sl*ve, and the pure earnestness of two victims finding comfort (and maybe a little bit of hope?) in each other. There are no misunderstandings between them, Raha is depressingly straightforward and broken and Shed uncovers the truth behind... more>> her bad reputation immediately.

Beyond the smut, there's your typical court drama and hinted at traumatic backstories for princess Raha and her evil twin brother. I'm excited to read more, which isn't surprising given the author is the same as "Princess Shu" and "Tragedy For The Villainess." <<less

Update Status November 11, 2022: Dropped series because it is just too sad and emotionally draining. TLDR: It is a mind f*ck. The ML and the Princess's Doctor are the only rational ones in the bunch. It is a good story (don't get me wrong). But it is a mind f*ck. If you know that going in, I'd say read it with a few tissues next to you.

Trigger Warnings: r*pe, Malicious s*xual predator behavior, Mental ab*se, Physical ab*se (mentions), Traumatized people, su*cide. Healthy Relationships/Mental Health of Characters: There are no mentally healthy in the FL's family. Only two characters could be considered as mentally stable.

Storyline: There are extended flashbacks and multiple narratives in this novel. The drama is intense. (I recommend having a few tissues next to you when you read.) There are moments where the FL's situation is so sad I cried. The drama depicted is not your teen drama stuff. It deserves that 'mature' or 'adult' genre. The drama and storyline intertwine to create a very intense story. There are times when the translation is unable to properly express the drama and meaning the novel. (The translators try really hard to bridge the language gap but there are times when I was thinking "wha?". But the storyline is just complex that makes the translation hard (in my opinion).)

Overall: It is a complex world. The world building is somewhat lacking for the storyline. The drama is intense. The translation is great. (They do a good job at answering some of the questions a reader might have about who is talking, flashbacks and other such things.)

Oh my goodness, this novel has me hooked! Fair warning to squeamish readers, this novel is on the darker side, and does not hesitate to include taboo material. That's what makes it all the better for me, though, as I enjoy more mature content. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat. A rare novel in which I'm invested in the FL's clever efforts to survive and manipulate her brother.

I'm not surprised that a lot of people hate him, as he was written to be hated, but I actually... more>> really like the villain in this novel. It's her brother, by the way, who was designed to be utterly psychopathic, somewhat narcissistic, creepily, nearly in*estuously obsessed with his twin sister. Despite all that, he doesn't feel like a caricature of some cackling villain that we're supposed to loathe for the sake of pitying the protagonist, he actually gives off an eerie, frightening vibe. He actually lives up to the 'Tyrant" title that so many "Tyrant MLs" get in other, less adult-oriented novels get.

The relationship between Raha and the ML is also really intense, in the best way. The smut does not disappoint; it's spicy, and simultaneously really depressing, haha. They're both broken individuals that slowly figure out how to live again when they interact with each other.

Anyway, this is a great refresher among the many regressor/isekai stories that revolve around the same plotline. Looking forward to the rest! <<less

FL Raha reminds me of the badass, scheming-behind-fake smiles, mentally unhinged Roxanna from "To Protect the Female Lead's Older Brother" but trapped in the position of Princess Leah from "Predatory Marriage" with the obsessive brother who secretly wants to sleep with her and control her every action.

Her past and present is a tragic living nightmare. She is helpless and powerless (literally has no personal guards, no familial love, no allies except for her personal doctor), but the only reason she has survived for so long is because she is incredibly... more>> smart and knows how to act as the perfect doll in order to maintain her facade. She does not allow herself to feel true emotions until she meets the ML.

Although ML is brought in as her "s*ave, " he rarely behaves like one, especially in the bedroom -wink wink-. I really like how their relationship progresses in a healthy way and

Spoiler

although they lie to each other about their true feelings before the separation, they quickly make up and communicate through their bodies and words when reunited.

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FL's brother is a piece of sh*t psychopath and gets what's coming for him. <<less

Still at chapter 22 but Im sooooo into it! The pacing of the storyline is so well written as well as how the author created the well detailed characters. I love how the top tier psychopathic brother Karzen Del Harsa is, to her sister; so creepyyyyy yet it makes you want to read more.

Thank you to the author and the translators for this mind boggling, intriguing and well written novel. More translated chapters to come, jebaljuseyo 😍❤️

The brother is really crazy but I'm rooting for ML and FL. Lots of snu, lots of angst. I don't see much imbalance between the two since ML

It's interesting. Karzen is scary af for a bro to have and I'm not even surprised for any mental/behavioral issues Raha may have developed from years of enduring his psycho twin's atrocities. In a way, she's quite strong to keep living in her own way with no allies at all.

Shed is a bit mysterious. Their time together and intimate scenes are like her recess/stress outlet. Lol

I try not to start novels before they have at least 50 chapters, but I love the cover, so I couldn't stop myself from reading it. (I love pretty art, honestly.)

And... I'm blown away. It's an R19 novel, so there is a lot of s*x, but that aside... I'm enjoying this so. much. The FL is amazing. She's able to make most of her terrible situation by using whatever is available to her. She doesn't stop herself from making important and somewhat cruel decisions, but at the same time... more>> she's compassionate and kind when the situation calls for it. I'm really happy to be reading about a smart FL.

And I love the dynamic between her and Shed. I can tell, this is going to be an amazing novel and I'm glad I discovered it. <<less

This kind of novel gets you sitting on the edge of your seat. I love stories like this, a perfect combination of mystery, angst, spice, fluff, and PLOT. Great translation as well!

Dropped at chapter 8 - 1-2/5

I went into this blind not really paying close attention to the type of novel it was, it had decent ratings too so it was all the more reason for me to dive in. I’m all for dark themes in a novel, but this sort of stuff doesn’t settle right with me.

Pushing that aside, the setting and the relationships between the characters was something that fascinated me. I did want to know more about the dynamic between Karzan and Raha in particular..

I dropped it at chapter 124.

It starts out good, has an interesting world setting, although not very detailed. The characters are definitely interesting. I was really interested in the story but after around chapter 90 (?) nothing really happened anymore.

The characters feelings keep getting mentioned but they don't really make sense in the context. Maybe it's a translation issue. Although the translation is pretty good.

It feels like the story lost the plot and the author was just fumbling to get more chapters out without having a clear picture of where... more>> the story was supposed to go.

I'm quite disappointed, I don't have the patience to read to the end and at this point I've lost interest because it felt like walking through sludge trying to read this to the end. <<less

So again I started reading a story that was not wholly translated so I'm left hanging. That isn't very pleasant. Anyway, I gave it 3 stars because the language (dialogue) is a bit confusing and the references to things to build the world are not thorough or in-depth. I found it a bit odd that the inner dialogue of the MC was very strange. The story honestly is very dark, traumatic, and sad; but I honestly need to read the resolution of the story. So this, I'll definitely come back... more>> to, hopefully, this novel gets completely translated soon. <<less

I actually really like this? I didn't expect to - I came for smut but stayed for their relationship. I normally find myself rolling my eyes with how quickly the couple falls for each other without the author giving a real foundation for it (I hate insta-love). But here, I really appreciate all the times the author wrote about them simply enjoying each other's company. While I'm sure a large part of their affection for one another is based on lust, I <spoiler> like how often they just sit together... more>> and just watch the snow, when he held her as she cried, or how time actually passed! So many of these stories, they fall in love in like 2 months, but here that is not the case. &Lt;/spoiler> By chapter 100, they've known each other for a year, and you can really feel how their time together deepened their silent affection for one another. <<less

I've read countless novels over the years and frequently use Novelupdates to decide whether something is worth diving into. I don't usually write reviews, but I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this incredible piece of work.

Having explored a wide variety of genres, I believe the author has done well balancing the different themes and done an exceptional job portraying the female lead. I often feel a sense of emptiness after finishing a great book, but this one left me with a bittersweet longing, a desire to know more.... more>> I truly would have loved to see more about the future and how things eventually played out.

And I agree with the final note left by the translator: "Raha was one of the strongest female leads ever." Of all the novels I've read, there's no doubt that Raha stands out—strong, brave, and yet deeply broken. She's an unforgettable character, and her journey was nothing short of captivating.

Thank you for allowing me to experience this masterpiece. I know without a doubt that I'll revisit it again in the future.

And so, I've decided to continue writing reviews for novels that truly stand out, in the hope that others, like myself, will get the chance to experience the comfort and beauty that great stories can offer. <<less

This story is so... I have no words.

It was so full of angst, revenge, smut (a lot of smut), intrigue, and madness (like, a lot of madness).

I liked that Raha and Shed got the proper romantic ending. I wish the author would have written side stories of Shed and Raha or Jamela or the mysterious second prince (we don't even know what he looks like).

I confess there were parts I didn't understand, like they were holes in the story, but I still enjoyed the story.