Rakuin no Monshou is not your typical light novel. It follows western literature in its style, which means that it neither contains hyper-sexualized children nor any of those overused anime tropes. Instead, it opts for realistic characters with appropriate depth, along with a story focusing on war and political intrigue. While this may sound rather dull at first glance, it is actually quite interesting once you get into it. The battles range from gladiator matches to open warfare, while the politics is done in such a way that it is actually interesting to read about. Below, I will attempt to analyse this novel. Story (9/10): The plotis quite similar to Spartacus, set in a semi-realistic fantasy world. While most of the technology seems to be pre industrial revolution level, magic and airships are present, which may bring Final Fantasy IX to mind. The story progresses with a good deal of plot twists and reveals, which make it a rather engaging read.
The pacing is handled quite well most of the time, although there are some parts that feel a little inconsistent. There was an entire arc that seemed pointless at first, but given some time, it managed to redeem itself.
The author managed to paint a rather vivid picture of his world. We get a good idea about the various countries and their relations, as well as the politics involved behind the scenes.
Overall, the story was done quite well, with very little to complain about. I was expecting a messy ending, having read another review from this site, but I was pleasantly surprised. While the ending was certainly a little anticlimactic, I wouldn’t call it a disappointing conclusion by any means.

Art (7/10):
I don’t see much of a point in talking about the art in a light novel, but I guess I’ll give it a shot.
The art-style was fairly clean, and makes it easier to visualize important scenes. While it isn’t anything spectacular, I’ll cut it some slack, since it’s an LN after all.

Character (9/10):
The characters in Rakuin no Monshou are quite realistic and well-written in general. The main characters, Orba and Vileena are both fairly deep and interesting, and they receive a good deal of development as the story proceeds. Not only are the main characters done well, even the side characters such as Shique and Ineli are fleshed out quite well. Nothing to complain about here.

Enjoyment (10/10):
Rakuin no Monshou was a gripping read from start to finish. Orba and Vileena’s journey was extremely enjoyable to read about – so much so that I was reading at a pace of one volume a day, and was left wanting more when it was over.

Overall (8.75 ~ 9/10):
All put together, Rakuin no Monshou was the best of its genre that I’ve read, and is also among my all-time favourites. If you’re interested in war and politics with a dash of romance, try this one out. You won’t regret it.