Review: Bride of the Barrier Master vol 1 – Kureha
Bride of the Barrier Master, Vol. 1by Kureha
Series: Bride of the Barrier Master #1
Publisher: Yen Oh
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
Pages: 208
Source: Purchased
My rating:
Long ago, Japan was protected by five crystal pillars. Though eighteen-year-old Hana Ichise was born to one of the branch families that defend the pillars using supernatural abilities, she has lived in the shadow of her brilliant twin sister, Hazuki, from a young age. When Hana finally awakens to powers of her own one day, however, she opts to hide them out of a desire to complete her high school education in peace. That is until Saku Ichinomiya, the arrogant yet powerful head of her family’s primary branch, falls for Hana and forces her into signing a marriage contract with him. But can Hana rise to her true potential under the wing of her husband-to-be?
While I’ve previously reviewed the manga version of this series, my first experience was with the light novel series. While the manga is great for action, facial expressions and dialog, the novel’s able to expand on scenes and give you, I think, a better peek into the characters’ heads. Or maybe I just prefer it because it’s the first way I experienced the story! Either way, buckle in for a fluffy and often humorous ride.
After eighteen years of being compared to her much more magically powerful twin sister Hazuki, Hana is done with trying to live up to anyone’s expectations than her own. So when her magical powers suddenly awaken, she decides to hide them and keep living as the family’s “scraps” so the only expectations she has to live up to are her own. All that comes crashing down when the new lord of her clan recognizes her power and for *insert plot reasons* proposes a contract marriage.
“I hate beating around the bush, so I’ll be direct,” he said. “Be my bride.”
“No way.”
“…………”
Hana admits she’s a little warped (which she blames completely on her family). After watching all the expectations and burdens placed on her sister Hazuki, the last thing Hana wants is to be recognized for her power. She wants to live her life the way she wants, regardless of the expectations of others. But she’s also practical enough to realize that that freedom requires money. Her ultimate goal in life is to work in a normal company and then enjoy her retirement – all far away from the practitioner world. And Saku, who’s powerful enough to recognize her power, is someone she needs to stay far away from. In true Hana fashion, when confronted by him, she denies everything at the top of her lungs and runs away. But it’s not much of a surprise that what finally tempts her into a marriage with Saku is, well, money and the agreement that the contract will be complete once the barrier is stabilized.
“There are people who are watching you, who see what you do. That includes me, of course,” Sae said. “Be true to yourself, Miss Hana, and live the way you want to.”
While there’s also a random extremely contrived murder mystery plot thrown in, the main plot of the book to me is watching Hana slowly branch out from her vision of a life spent alone in peace and quiet. She’s cynical, selfish and mercenary, but she also cares deeply for others, even her twin who’s washed her hands of her. She’s like a porcupine with a tender, kind heart. Watching everyone underestimate Hana – and then seeing Saku recognize her worth immediately – is exactly my cup of tea. Hana’s shikigamis – two human-formed ones who are extremely protective of her and a talking butterfly – are also hilarious and not particularly interested in letting anybody disrespect their master, clan head or not.
“You’re so optimistic, Hana. I’m almost jealous of your positivity.”
“…And you’re full of yourself. Just who do you think you are?”
“Lord Ichinomiya. Bow down before me, peasant.”
“No way.”
Which leads directly to Hana and Saku’s relationship. Hana is, well, Hana and Saku is curmudgeonly, arrogant and often childish. Saku has grown up knowing that he’d be the next head of the clan, so he’s had to live with that burden – and all the flunkies currying his favor – for his entire life. Hana’s the first person who feels free to argue, curse and yell at him. Not to mention, she’s the first to look past the title and see just himself. So, yes, Hana does fall into that “not like other girls” category, but it didn’t rub me the wrong way too badly. Hana is truly one-of-a-kind.
While the book ends with mystery plot neatly wrapped up, it feels abrupt because there are so many plot threads left dangling. How the marriage will affect Hana and Haruki’s relationship isn’t explored, nor the changing relationships between Saku’s family members. And, of course, that’s not even mentioning the relationship between Hana and Saku.
“Worst comes to worst, we can assassinate the clan head and run away together.”
Overall, there’s a reason these are called light novels. It’s fun, it’s fluffy and it really shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Through that lens, this is a fun read if you’re looking for a snarky heroine, a little bit of magic and a little bit of romance.
