I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic (Botsuraku Yotei no Kizoku dakedo, Hima datta kara Mahō wo Kiwamete Mita) is a fantasy light novel by Nazuna Miki, perhaps better known as the writer of My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1. This title has been published by J-Novel Club.
Much like the better-known title, the story delves into another power fantasy where the protagonist becomes insanely overpowered and loved by almost everyone.
Yet Another Reincarnated As A Noble
The premise is fairly generic at this point. The protagonist reincarnates as Liam Hamilton, the fifth son of a noble family that only cares about power and retaining their status. The tension is turned up very slightly here due to a system where nobles can only pass their titles down for three generations unless they achieve something, and sadly the past few heads of the Hamilton family have not been particularly successful.
Soon after awakening as a twelve-year-old, Liam realizes that he has an absurdly powerful talent for magic. This sets up some events where his father actually takes an interest, and there is some noble family drama, but I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic focuses more on the gaining of power than these elements, though they’re still important.
Lucky Liam
If I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic were a game world light novel, I’d think that Liam’s luck stat was maxed out.
Not only does he have incredible magical talent, but events constantly go his way. He’s born into a family with the resources he needs to learn, a mysterious teacher appears before him, and he easily bypasses the difficulty of learning new spells.
Volume one feels like it’s an almost non-stop flow of events that either involve Liam acquiring some new power that is out of reach for almost everyone, or making money. It’s to the point that it feels like godhood may be on the table within a few more volumes. I felt rather mixed on this as the power gain is ludicrous, but so much so that I enjoyed seeing it and wondering just how they’d top it. With that said, none of the powers were particularly novel, with some of the standard light novel tropes popping up.
I did find myself confused by the financial elements. Liam was a commoner and not from another world like in many other light novels. It mentions that this is the first time he’s even been in a room with many books, but he somehow has knowledge that he can combine with his new magical power to pull off some innovative techniques. It doesn’t establish anything in his past life to account for that.
On top of the magical and financial power, two women are introduced, adding a harem element to the fantasy. I wasn’t a fan of how this was handled. They volunteer for a situation where extreme trust is needed, but the relationship wasn’t established much before this and their motivation doesn’t seem particularly strong. Romance is mentioned, but doesn’t feel justified by the dynamic between characters either.
There isn’t really much that stands out about I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic, at least in volume one. The story elements have all been done before and it doesn’t mitigate this through absurd humor, or particularly great characters, or worldbuilding like some other light novels. Even the titular idea of being on the brink of ruin is done away with quickly.
Art
The artist of I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic is Kabotya, who has worked on a number of light novels and manga, though no particularly well-known ones.
A couple of instances of Liam having disconcertingly long fingers stood out, but aside from that I liked the art style. The summoned creatures that Liam uses have cute designs and the clothing stands out. There are some additional character design images at the back too, which was appreciated.
Verdict
I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic is a generic power fantasy without a unique hook to distinguish itself. It doesn’t manage to build up what’s needed to justify the events going on either. Still, there’s fun to be found in Liam’s constant power-ups and successes, even if it doesn’t always feel like it makes sense.
WAIT FOR SALE ON I’M A NOBLE ON THE BRINK OF RUIN, SO I MIGHT AS WELL TRY MASTERING MAGIC
If you are looking for more light novels, you may enjoy our review of My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex.
The writer’s own copy of I’m A Noble On The Brink Of Ruin, So I Might As Well Try Mastering Magic was used for this review.
A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.
