The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman Volume 2 by Kamihara, Illustrated by Shiro46. Translated by Hengtee Lim, Edited by Ruuri. Published by J-Novel Heart (J-Novel Club).

I'm fully intent on reading this series "as it was intended", so J-Novel's decision to split up the volumes means that I had to wait a until the 2nd part was out in order to read them together. It's annoying, but I understand, since these books are huge for light novels. We at least get a new art (a new cover!) for part 2. 

There's really no way to talk about these books without spoiling the plot. More to the point, the book's official synopsis (both parts) pretty much tells you what happens. Does that mean that these plot points aren't spoilers? I don't know, but I'll do my best to give impressions without totally giving up the plot.

The domain of Conrad is attacked by unknown assailants in this book, and Karen's life turns completely upside down. Most of the Conrad household and domain is brutally attacked, leaving few survivors. Through the hard work of her protectors Karen is barely able to escape. 

This was such a harrowing arc, and for me it was just as shocking as the "Red Wedding" in Game of Thrones. I'm sorry I keep comparing this series to A Song of Ice and Fire, especially since I've never read it, but I was a big fan of the TV show (until they ruined it) and it's pretty much my only point of comparison for how horrible events end up stacking up top of each other. The first domino falls, which leads to everything cascading down. Karen is barely able to keep her wits about her as she deftly navigates the difficult political situation. 

And also, I'm NOT sorry about the Game of Thrones comparison because there's literally a scene in this book that's the equivalent of the duel between The Mountain and Oberyn Martell. I'm pretty sure that one of the named characters that joins the group later is also a reference to some pretty recognizable GOT characters. Is the author a fan of the series? I hope so, otherwise I'd feel like I was going crazy. 

Anyways, the political situation becomes even more complicated, as the country basically falls to ruin. Karen originally decided to emigrate to the Empire when the time had come (and had secured the means to do so in the last book), and this is the volume where that happens. The second half of the book is basically about how she starts to build a new life in the Arrendle Empire. This seemed to be a pretty low-fantasy setting, but there is indeed magic in the world, as shown by the mage Six and his abilities. While he's a pretty mysterious character, there's more of the magic system being displayed in this book, and I'm curious to find out more.

Karen's relationship with Reinald also develops in this book, and it's obvious to everyone except her that she has feelings for him. From a viewer perspective, it's also obvious to the reader that Reinald feels the same way about her, and he tries to take some small steps forward. They are both pretty level-headed, and consider the practicality of their relationship more than anything, which is why there hasn't been any big developments. But it's nice to see them start to depend on each other. However, I also have some mixed feelings about this, since circumstances lead to Karen being pretty dependent on Reinald's resources and political standing. This ends up leading to more issues and obstacles for her though, as it's a bad look, and I'm at least satisfied that he's not simply "saving the day" for now. It's pretty integrated into the plot, so I'm happy to follow along to see how they overcome their next hurdle. 

I honestly think that this series easily stands with the best of them, as the plot developments are fast and furious. There's never a dull moment, and some of the twists are pretty shocking. Also, the author loves cliffhangers, so there is of course a crazy development at the end of this book that will leave you itching for the next one.