book reviews 2013 fiction

Transmigrating only to end up in the body of a notorious and blacklisted dated movie queen? Accused of bribery, plastic surgery, being a mistress and diva, and even having sex for favors? The number one spoiled and domineering queen returns with a vengeance! To kick out the movie kings and queens and to dominate the entertainment industry! Nothing will stand in the way of the empress to get rid of that bastard emperor—not even transmigration! But… F*ck! What the hell? That darn husband of hers is the spitting image of that bastard emperor…

When the System descended and turned Earth into a dungeon-crawling death game, most people got combat classes—Warrior, Mage, Rogue. Takeshi got something different: Corporate Drone. While others gained flashy skills and legendary weapons, he received a briefcase, a tie that never wrinkles, and abilities like [Overtime Exploitation] and [Meeting Scheduler]. His employer? The Black Company, a ruthless interdimensional corporation that treats dungeon diving like just another day at the office, complete with quotas, performance reviews, and mandatory unpaid overtime in monster-infested hellscapes. But Takeshi isn't complaining. In his old life, he survived Japan's most brutal work culture, mastering the art of endurance, efficiency, and turning corporate BS into actual results. Now, those same skills that made him a salaryman legend are his path to power. Every monster killed is a KPI met. Every dungeon cleared is a project completed ahead of schedule. The Black Company doesn't care if he lives or dies. His party members think his class is a joke. But Takeshi has spent years climbing corporate ladders built on backstabbing and impossible deadlines. And while other adventurers burn out chasing glory, he grinds forward with the relentless, soul-crushing determination only a black company veteran possesses. Because in a world where everyone else is playing hero, sometimes the key to reaching the top is knowing how to work the system—literally.

This is a collection of reviews about the books I've read so far :)

Zang Ruìnà died at twenty-two, face-down on a spreadsheet, her heart finally surrendering to a decade of sleepless nights and bottomless coffee. No heroics. No prophecy. Just another white-collar worker ground to dust by a system that had no use for her beyond what she could produce. She did not expect to open her eyes again. Now she is Reina, a forest elf of the Veridian Weald—slender, silver-haired, and burdened with memories not her own. In human reckoning, she is twenty-two. In elven years, she is young enough to be foolish and old enough to know better. The body she wears carries fading scars from a life she never lived: a skirmish with poachers, a fever that nearly claimed her, a mother who sang her to sleep beneath trees that glow with primal magic. But the world she has entered is no dream. Aethelgard is a land where magic flows like blood through the earth—and where every spell demands its price. The Arcane Conclave polices power with iron formulas and colder judgment. The Rootweaver Circle watches the forests with ancient, suspicious eyes. And the Order of the Mortal Coil hunts those who seek to cheat death, unaware that death has already spat one soul back into the light. Reina remembers spreadsheets and subway commutes. She remembers burnout, loneliness, the quiet desperation of modern life. Those memories should be useless here. Instead, they become her edge. When a conflict erupts between the druids of the Weald and the encroaching expansion of a Suncinder Basin trade cartel, Reina finds herself caught between two worlds that despise each other—and neither trusts an elf who thinks like a human. To survive, she must navigate political intrigues, bargain with fey spirits who sense something wrong about her, and confront the terrifying truth: magic can be learned, but its cost is written in flesh and soul. She came from a world that worked her to death. Now she must decide whether this one is worth living for.

Elijah lived in the magical world. He had no powers but his friend did. He had no parents as well. When he couldn't pay rent, he had to find a hotel. Other hotels were very expensive and asked his friends for help. They followed him to a hotel with no reviews. Just as his friends were about to leave, the door closed. They tried to find exits but couldn't find it. There were no receptionists, too. They knew their only way is... foward. *gulp*

After being found and brought back by her wealthy family, Arabella Donovan has an unexpected awakening and discovers that the world she lives in is a mishmash of popular story tropes. Her eldest brother is the tragic guy in a melodramatic, angsty novel; Her second brother is the cannon fodder in an showbiz power-fantasy novel; Her third brother is the scapegoat who ends up with a criminal record in a doting teen romance; Her fourth sister is the vicious villainess in a 'real vs. fake heiress' story; And even her parents are just antagonistic background characters in some sweet, middle-aged romance. Arabella Donovan: This family is a complete collection of misfortunes. The word 'tragic' doesn't even begin to cover it. Her family, after hearing all of her inner thoughts: "..."

Good news: You've awakened. Bad news: You're the villainess. Renee Jennings accidentally obtains a system, allowing her to break free from the plot's control by completing missions. Renee Jennings: "Wait a minute, what's with all the animal dictionaries as a reward?" System: [They can give you an affinity with animals.] Renee Jennings: "Why?" System: [Because a villainess has no affinity with people.] Renee Jennings: "…" This joke is not that funny... * After unlocking animal languages, Renee Jennings embarks on a path of no return— Leading dogs to save a blind woman being stalked by a pervert. Reporting an evil old man who murdered his wife and hid her body, thanks to rats. Helping a kitten catch the murderer who killed its owner and buried the body. Finding tens of millions in stolen goods based on intel from birds. * While others are petting cats, Renee Jennings is riding a tiger. While others are falling in love, Renee Jennings is solving crimes. While others are getting married, Renee Jennings is rescuing endangered animals. While others are having kids, Renee Jennings is serving her country.

On the verge of death from illness, Yu Zhizhi transmigrates to the Beast World Planet, becoming the lowest-ranking plaything for slaughter. Her destiny was supposed to be a direct slaughter by powerful figures gone Berserk in their beast forms. Fortunately, she awakened the Childbirth System, and the style of the story suddenly changed— The maddened and fallen monster (Wolf): "I'll give you a choice, love me, or be bitten to death by me?" The evil Duke (Snake): "Beautiful maiden, please fall into the abyss of desire with me." The tyrannical Imperial Marshal (Shark): "I command you, you are only permitted to love me!" The wildly arrogant Crown Prince (Tiger): "I will kill all the males who covet you!!" (The list of Beast Husbands is expanding—) As the lowest-ranking female, Yu Zhizhi is doted on wildly by the powerful figures, undergoing Evolution all the way to the top-tier Rare grade and becoming the most noble existence in the Beast World Empire!

Modern forensic doctor Xu Jing transmigrates into an arrogant, reckless woman who just got divorced by her husband. Facing such a pitiful start, Xu Jing remains calm, understanding that life must go on. One day, The Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Xiao Yi, comes to Anping County for official business. A Government Official brings a woman in, but she remains unflustered, looking up calmly to say: "This common woman requests to prove her innocence." Xiao Yi is shocked to find that his ex-wife not only has a changed personality but also can perform autopsies and solve cases. Her medical skills are extraordinarily impressive. Xiao Yi can't stay calm and personally visits Xu Jing to request an autopsy. Xu Jing: "Sure, an autopsy costs one silver." Xiao Yi: "..."

Bai Su, who transmigrated into a book set in the interstellar Beast World, has only one interest: making delicious food at the orphanage, raising children, and enjoying her hard-won new life. Future's great villains? The cubs are all super well-behaved in front of her! The Federation Leader comes to freeload a meal, and his disability is cured! The business emperor comes to freeload a meal, and his infertility is solved! The obese little female gets thinner the more she eats, gradually growing into the number one beauty of the Beast World. She also attracts the number one genius doctor of the interstellar era and the interstellar great captain. The villainous cubs, driving warships and controlling ten thousand beasts: "If you want to get close to our Mom, you'll have to withstand our cannon fire first!" The Federation Leader laughs in anger: "You dare to bomb my armory? Courting death!" The gloomy and bloodthirsty emperor: "A bunch of little trash! You think I'm afraid of you?" The doctor's face turns ashen: "Either give back my research results, or die!" The interstellar great captain dangerously shoulders a Barrett: "I see you're all dying to get locked up." Bai Su smiles and peeks her head out, holding a gleaming kitchen knife: "Time to eat! What are you all doing?" The big shots and the little villains, harmoniously putting their arms around each other's shoulders in a picture of fatherly love and filial piety: "Coming~~"