My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Volume 1: All Routes Lead to Doom! Volume 1 (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, #1)

by Satoru Yamaguchi

Nami Hidaka (Illustrator) and Shirley Yeung (Translator)

After hitting her head particularly hard one day, Duke Claes' daughter, Katarina, suddenly recalls all the memories of her past life: that of a teenage Japanese girl. Just before her untimely death, this girl recalls playing an otome game... that is exactly like the world she's living in now!She is now Katarina Claes, the antagonist of the otome game, who nastily hounded the protagonist until the end. Knowing all the possible outcomes of the game, she realizes that every single possible route ends with Katarina being murdered or exiled! In order to avoid these Catastrophic Bad Ends, she has to use her knowledge of the game and her own wiles, starting with breaking off this engagement with the prince...Will Katarina survive while making her way through this world, where bad flags trip at every turn? Find out in this reverse-harem rom-com, led by everybody's favorite villainess!

• ISBN10: 1718366604
• ISBN13: 9781718366602
• Publish Date: 18 June 2020 (first published 6 August 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: J-Novel Club
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 250
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of My Next Life As A Villainess Vol. 1 through Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

My Next Life As A Villainess Vol. 1 is the first in a new light novel series; one with a unique twist of a tale. This series combines character-driven plots with classic video game elements and romance in the most hilarious and entertaining of ways.
One day Katarina took a rather hard hit on the head. That’s not terribly out of the ordinary for an active child, even the daughter of a Duke. What is strange is that the bump she took reminded her of her past life.
The important thing to take away is that she recognized the life she’s currently living – for she had played that plot in a game of all things! Worse yet, she’s the villain in that game, doomed to die no matter which path is chosen.
Desperate to find a new path for herself, Katarina immediately begins reaching outward to make alliances. All while plotting ways to save her future and life. Naturally, chaos and entertainment ensue.

My Next Life As A Villainess Vol. 1 is a highly unique and amusing read. This is the sort of plot that only manga can pull off, as it is full of charm and interesting characters. This series is perfect for anybody looking for a light yet entertaining read.
Katarina’s realization is not a typical one, nor are all of her plans to save the day (for herself, that is). The plans are grand in nature, which sounds about right for this girl. No wonder she was naturally inclined to be a supervillain.
There’s love triangle upon love triangle to be found in this story, as Katarina runs around –sometimes literally – trying to get in the good graces of those who would otherwise someday kill her. It’s a chaotic mess for her, but that just makes it all the more interesting for us!
This was a great start to a series, one that will surely be fascinating down the road as well. I’m glad that I took a risk and gave it a try, and I’ll have to remember to keep my eyes open for the next volume. I think that one will also prove to be worth checking out.