This is one of those series where the running joke/through line will either interesting you or you'll just hate it. And that's okay. For me, I ADORE the relatively niche subgenre of "can we eat this monster" manga that has been cropping up the past few years. Partly because I am a complete sucker for delicious food porn, but also because it's a supremely interesting topic in a world filled with monsters. What do you do with the corpses, and can they be turned into something usable? This series' protagonist aims to bring monster meat to the masses, and is absolutely determined to do so. She veryswiftly pairs up with a Duke who has an interest in killing monsters and turning them into something useful, and this a partnership is born, and a romance enkindled. And that's the basic premise, and it works so damn well.

Both protagonists are given ample reason and motivations to be how they are with the goals they have, and they often butt heads about various topics but always come to a good compromise or genuinely apologise to each other. They're written as realistic people, in love sure, and that can introduce some silliness at times, but it's always refreshing to see people being written as actual people as opposed to a jumble of character traits in a suit or the worlds most snarky cynic.

The world as a whole is also very well made. There's enough hand waving around certain things that it feels like there's still a sense of mystery and surprise to the setting, while going into detail on things relevant to the storyline. It's a delicate balance to maintain, and the story writer does it spectacularly, giving us threads for the story to pull on and create new scenes both of combat and of interpersonal drama.

If I had to pick something to be annoyed about though, it's that far too many people in this universe are "I'll only believe it once I experience it" types, and that can get rather silly. When your liege lord, multiple high ranking people near them, and every knight who's encountered this woman all say monster meat can be made delicious and she knows how to do it, being the only cynical "I doubt that" arsehole in the room just makes you look like a contrarian at best, and an idiot at worst.

Also the evil stepmother trope in the beginning is just pathetically done. I get you had to have an impetus for why she was at the volume 1 party and so stressed about finding a match, and you didn't want to make her father out to be the bad guy, but it's just so poorly executed. She's given no real reason why she's behaving this way towards the MC, and the fact that the MCs father just doesn't stand up for her in any way is beyond disgusting. He is even shown wanting to refuse the marriage offer despite it being an objectively idiotic decision in many ways. I have helped people I just met with more passion than this man puts towards assisting his own child and the only reminder he has of a dead wife he is shown in repeated flashback to adore. I do not know or like why this man is so passive towards his own daughters fate, or why he's letting his second wife run roughshod over the poor girl, and he's never given a proper reason for it, and it really does ruin his character when you see what he was like in flashbacks and recollections.

But in truth those are the only two major problems I have with the series. The story is incredibly well done, with realistic characters that don't feel like the cynical pricks the moniker "realistic" usually conjures. Everyone wants to ensure the best for their nations and the way the story progresses and expands in scope is very well done and in accordance with the goals and motivations of the people within it. It very much smacks of "the author thought all this out before writing" which is something I want to see more of.

Definitely an amazing read, and I cannot wait to read more of it.