I read Victoria of Many Faces largely because I enjoyed one of the author’s other books, Soup Forest, and decided to pre-order the moment that Amazon notified me about the coming title. It turned out to be an excellent choice, and I almost binge read the book in about two or three sittings. In fact, the only reason it took three days is because I decided on the second, that I really did need to sleep 😅.
Victoria is perhaps one of the more interesting light novel characters that I’ve encountered. Fleeing the organization, she ends up settling in another country and becomes embroiled in various antics–which eventually lead to her efforts to lie low becoming more complicated as time goes on. But we see a character who’s done some not-so-great things choosing to deviate from what they were trained to do because they choose to follow their heart. Even from the very beginning, Victoria recognizes that her course of action would be ill-advised and if she were still an operative would have to avoid the risks that it incurs. Faced with that, Victoria makes her own choice about what is right and that moral compass sets her on a beautiful course.
I love that the actions Victoria takes are her choice, and often bring about the major shifts in the plot. As a light novel, Victoria of Many Faces is often amusing and intriguing, and honestly I laughed so hard during the pub scene with the cat….I love so much that it’s even captured by one of the illustrations. The follow up in the bakery was superb, with there “Don’t you want to ask me something? / Do you want me to ask? / No” moment ending with the two laughing like loons. It’s very much like a shared story over cake, and plays off the incident with such comedic beauty.
Throughout the story, Victoria’s interactions with other people define what becomes the new “Normal” for her. By making it a slice of life tale, I think the story captures well why such shifts in Victoria’s life lead her towards finding happiness in such unlikely actions.
The ending in particular was rather beautiful, and after having seen several of the character’s aliases and efforts at concealing her true identity, Victoria’s exchange with the captain is especially poignant at the end. I’m glad that when all is said and done, she is able to reveal both her true self and the name hidden behind it all.
Overall, I would say that the protagonist is more realistic than most LN characters tend to be while remaining a vehicle for the story, and that makes her a wonderful counter-point to the various antics she gets wrapped up in. Victoria of Many Faces becomes a fairly warm slice of life / action comedy with a bit of romance here and there as the volume progresses, and it works really well IMHO.
I’m rather looking forward to the second volume, and hope that it proves as entertaining as the first was.