The Villainess Is an SS+ Rank Adventurer

The Villainess Is an SS+ Rank Adventurer, Book 1

De: Kaye Ng

Narrado por: Brenna Larsen

Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess.

Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read, and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.

Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At the threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle. Taking matters into her own hands, she escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.

©2023 Kaye Ng (P)2023 Podium Audio

No villainesses nor Rank SS+ Adventurers here

Normally I start off a review with the best stuff because I'm a positive person. But my conclusion actually contradicts my rating. I absolutely would recommend reading this book, as long as you take into account that it is NOT a story about an overpowered adventurer. It's a story about a spoiled little girl who may or may not be overpowered, but we don't really know because she never really does anything. So, despite the high rating, I'm not planning on reading anymore of the series, because I really liked this book but it was essentially the same 3 or 4 gags over and over and over and over again, and they were just good enough to be fun until shortly before the end of the book (Except the soap thing. That one stopped being funny after the 2nd time).

That said, I did rate this book really highly, given that first paragraph! And the reason for that is the delightful Brenna Larsen's narration. I've never heard of her before, but I'll be keeping an eye out for more books narrated by her. She's a very high energy narrator, and she pulls off the outrageousness of the main character perfectly, and the insanity that is the 2nd major character even better, honestly. I think the repeat gags might have lost their savor a lot sooner if they'd been delivered by a less capable narrator.

As for more detail on why I didn't love it? Like I said, certain expectations are implied by the title. Since the other series by this author is a high school slice of life series, I went in expecting the title to be misleading. But then the opening sequence made certain implications about Juliet's power level, which made it seem like the title maybe wasn't misleading. It was. The main character might be overpowered (Maybe? It's not really clear). But Juliet, is...extremely dumb. Most of the time. If I had to name a character she reminds me of the most, it would be Bill Murray's character in The Man Who Knew Too Little. Completely unaware of what's actually going on most of the time, an absolute bumbling fool 95% of the time, but things just kind of work out perfectly anyway. That's a great character for a movie. It even worked out for a book that was 3-4x as long as the movie. But by the end, I was ready for her to show some more dimensions. And it seemed like maybe she was going to for a minute! And then she was just Juliet again, and that was the moment I decided I was going to leave this confusing review.

Just listen

I enjoyed this more than I thought. It’s worth listening to and see for yourself. No spoilers. Sorry

Great narrator cringey story

The character is so far gone that you can’t even begin to connect with her. I got through chapter 14 and just can’t move forward anymore. It’s too unbelievable and too unconnectable that it’s just not worth my time. It’s the same commentary just with different side characters. Over and over and over again.


The only reason this is getting 3 stars is because the voice actress is awesome!!! Will definitely keep an eye out for more books narrated by her.

One and Done for Me

The Villainess Is an SS+ Rank Adventurer almost manages to make an absolutely insufferable lead kind of fun to follow. It’s a bit of spin on the whole "overpowered hero" trope, and the main protagonist Juliette is close to being able to carry the story.

She is a royal nightmare. She’s so detached from reality that she doesn't even realize she’s a powerhouse and she just thinks the world is finally starting to show her the respect she’s owed as an aristocrat. Watching her "rebrand" her questionable ethics into "proper etiquette" is hilarious.

However, there’s a bit of a honeymoon phase with this book. Juliette’s oblivious condescension is gold for the first bit, but by the halfway mark, the joke starts to wear thin.

The humor as some sharp moments, but it gets repetitive.

Juliette only seems to have one personality trait, and even though it was a funny one, it starts to feel more like a gimmick than a person.

The dialogue is definitely where the author shines. The side characters are great because they’re the "normal" people reacting to Juliette’s madness, which makes her look even more ridiculous.

But when it comes to the actual fighting? It’s a bit of a letdown. The combat scenes feel a little flat. I could see these battles looking incredible in a manga or anime, but on the page it just didn't land for me.

Final Thoughts

So, am I rushing to grab the sequel? Honestly, no. I enjoyed Juliette’s absurdity, but I wasn't hooked enough by the actual plot to keep going. The charm is definitely there, but by the end of the book, I felt like I’d had my fill. Its a one and done for me.

loved the narration and book, super funny and clever

loved the narration and book, super funny and clever, surprisingly lovable while weird characters, great book