#'reborn villian. hopefully with revenge'

[babygray-dam]

Reading Challenge 2022 (2/20):

How to Survive as a Villain by 伊依以翼 (Yi Yi Yi Yi)

After committing suicide, young CEO Xiao YuAn transmigrates into the body of a villain of a historical stallion novel. Will he be able to gain the goodwill of the hero, Yan HeQing, and avoid death and torture? Can he change the fate of the Northern Kingdom and the people around him?

It starts up just a fun little read. XYA is generally a happy, poem-spouting, talkative guy, with a smile that hides a lot. Maybe the willful obliviousness of his feelings towards YHQ might annoy some readers, but I thought that was part of the story’s charm.

After 50 chapters or so, the story turns from budding romance comedy to tragic historical, and there was a section of chapters where I couldn’t stop crying. A few of the interesting characters die, often violently, and XYA never really avoids the torture. Eventually, though, the story slowly returns to more lighthearted waters.

The romance? I liked it a lot. The pair, after the heartbreak and the multiple “I didn’t know you were you” parts, are sweet and silly and quite horny for each other. I love it when there’s no non-con. I think there was one scene of dub-con, midway through, but it was just the one. A much better track record than some other BL, that’s for sure.