The Villainess's Reputation [Kingdom Building]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Joy Cha Kim wakes up in the body of Ravenna Solarius, a disgraced princess of the Ancorna Empire and a minor villainess in the novel she once read. Doomed to live out her days on the desolate Jola Islands, Ravenna was fated to vanish without leaving a mark on the original story. But this time, things are different.

Armed with memories of her past life and a mysterious reputation system she discovers while struggling to survive, Joy refuses to fade into obscurity. Every decision she makes impacts her reputation, unlocking unexpected opportunities—and dangers. With her wits, the system, and the will to rewrite her destiny, can she carve out a new path on the sands of exile? Or will her story end as the novel foretold?

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: kn1is7otaku

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.0/ 5.0
Followers: 479
Views: 592,817

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

miltongearRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So far, Villainess's reputation has impressed me with its gradual and organic world-building. The author skillfully introduces new elements while remaining consistent with previously established lore, avoiding the dreaded "exposition dump" that plagues many reincarnated fantasy novels.
The kingdom-building aspect is particularly intriguing, even if my personal opinions don't always align with the author's choices. However, I appreciate the author's commitment to character consistency, which makes these differences less of a concern.
The characters, while initially somewhat flat, show promise. Our main lead is undoubtedly the most developed, and it's a delight to follow her journey. I'm eager to see the supporting cast grow and become more nuanced as the story progresses.
My only minor criticism lies in the pacing. The pacing occasionally feels rushed, leaving little room to savor the protagonist's accomplishments and the evolving world. Including chapters that focus on the city's progress and the characters' personal growth would enhance the reading experience.
Despite these minor shortcomings, the fiction demonstrates a strong foundation with a compelling protagonist and an engaging premise. With further character development and a more deliberate pace, this novel has the potential to become truly exceptional, I am really looking forward to where the novel takes me.
SantoshsanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this novel from the very first page. As a dedicated fan of kingdom-building stories, I often find myself wading through lengthy narratives before the core elements of city-building and nation-building truly take center stage. However, this story throws the reader right into the thick of it, presenting the protagonist with immediate challenges and compelling them to devise solutions for a thriving city.
One of the most refreshing aspects of this novel is the protagonist themselves. Unlike the archetypal, cardboard-cutout heroes often found in this genre, this character possesses a distinct personality that resonates deeply. Their motivations, flaws, and unique perspective shine through, making them a truly engaging and relatable figure.
While I'm eager to learn more about the supporting cast, some of the secondary characters feel somewhat underdeveloped at this point. However, I trust that the author will gradually unveil their depth and complexity as the narrative unfolds.
Ultimately, the true mark of a captivating story lies in its ability to keep the reader yearning for more, and this novel undoubtedly succeeds in that regard. I'm thoroughly invested in the protagonist's journey and eager to see how their decisions will shape the fate of their kingdom. I highly recommend this novel to fellow fans of the genre.
ZaafielRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Really enjoying this one. Our MC transmigrated into the body of a minor villainess in time to be exiled. She is in the world of her favorite web novel so she knows the main players and plot. The hero is regressor trying to save the world. The writing is just descriptive enough to be useful without being burdensome. Reads much like a light novel. Many chapters start with the last paragraph from the prior chapter, so catching up is a bit annoying. MC has a special system which she abuses as expected of a villainess.
jesse OnugboluRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I am genuinely surprised by this. At first I thought this would be a run of the mill reincarnated villainess story. It kinda is but also not.
first thing i like is the magic system. I’ve never read a flower based magic system and it’s interesting.
The world building is very well thought out and very interesting. A feudal low fantasy civilization.
All the characters are fine. I like the main char the most but the rest are fine. Realistically edible.
The story is linear and also fascinating with time travel shenanigans. People think it’s a regressive vs transmigrator thing but it’s actually a fixed time loop vs a variable time loop deal. But know of the past. Both have knowledge of what is meant to happen but all gotten through different context making them view it differently.
my complaints
1. Way are there mages, it doesn’t make sense in resource magic based world and even then it makes no sense
2. Shouldn’t florists be a more prestigious title in a world of magic flowers instead of mages.
3. They shouldnt be called dungeon in a world like this they should be called Chrysanthemum chasm
4. why 10 gods and how would their powers work in a world like this. Also would a flower gif be the strongest there?
HollexRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Honestly, it's a very interesting story. I love the backstory, most of the characters, and the atmosphere of politics, war, conspiracies, and kingdom building.
On the other hand, the story is divided into two distinct parts with two different protagonists:
First, we have Joy Cha Kim (chapters 1-77):
With her, the story is slow, boring, and passive. Her only goal is to live isolated and exiled on the island, and she only acts in self-defense without any grand objective or plan. Essentially, she perfectly embodies: "I was reincarnated in the body of a villain, but I want nothing to do with it and just want to live in peace."
Honestly, I didn't like this part of the story; I found it slow and boring.
After, we have Ravenna Solarius (77-247 [last chapter published at the time of this review]):
This is where things get interesting, where the protagonist is motivated to pursue the throne, to become empress, and begins to carry out all the political maneuvers, plots, and so on. It's also here that the protagonist finally integrates into her role as Ravenna and begins to accept the ideals, religion, and ambitions of Ravenna because,
Kim was always a memory of Ravenna, not the other way around
and What I liked most about Ravenna was how she embraced her role as an apostate from Herptian and the whole theme of indulgence and lust. I would have loved to see the author take the plunge and write some 18+ chapters narrating those events of religious devotion.[/spoiler]
I loved this part of the history, and this is when the fun begins.
Kingdom building: On the other hand, the theme of kingdom building is somewhat unique. The protagonist, even as Kim, decides to establish an absolute government on her island where she controls EVERYTHING, and that's unique because you usually see protagonists of this type trying to create democracy, similar to the modern world, and I loved that it was different, that she wanted control. But it has fallen down the rabbit hole of introducing modern c
RaszulRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Really like the premise, the characters, the story telling, etc. That, on his own, deserves 4-4.5/5 stars.
What I like significantly less is the amount of handwavium included in the real world technology portions. Coil spring based projector launchers suck, not excel. Smokeless powder is entirely unrelated to petroleum, aka petroleum, no matter how one refines it, is not an ingredient in gun cotton. And those are the obvious things. Stuff like the kennel of precision and purity required for some of the process or the logistics involved (eg where do the tons of niter and sulfuric acid for said smokeless powder come from? Those aren't exactly lying around in a medieval world)
Those logical inconsistencies and logistics gaps reduce my enjoyment if the story noticably. I still quite like it, but that lowers my rating by a star.
FairygiltRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Found this story originally on Spacebattles.
This was never a great story, but it was an OK one that I was finding enjoyable to read when bored or whatever. Unfortunately they did a shocking swerve, that I don’t particularly want to spoil, that removes a lot of agency and character from a certain character.
The chapter I’m on is right around where it happened. The story kinda lost me there, I put it down for a while and never quite managed to pick it back up again. The author in the author notes for that chapter acknowledges that the swerve is a bit odd and asks for patience, basically a ‘hear me out’ but… if you’re aware you’re going to have to ask the reader to hear you out, maybe don’t do it?
It’s got a system for the main character, but no one else has one, I’m willing to give that a pass because part of the story is the main character leveraging their ‘cheat’ powers.
Characterization is somewhat inconsistent, some character’s voices become something of an indistinguishable blob. That’s not really a problem with generic background characters, but when I realized I couldn’t tell which character was the MC’s protégée and which was the MC’s maid/assistant… well, there is room for improvement in characterization.
The story is interesting and mostly what drew me: I wanted to know what happened next. Everything made sense and followed logically. The swerve was foreshadowed, but I kept telling myself that the author was going to go somewhere else, not somewhere so stupid that trivializes so much of the plot. Unfortunately I was wrong.
The idea of casting magic with flowers is pretty great. I wish the author did more with it and actually described the cascades of flowers being crushed, thrown, wilting, fluttering on the breeze, etc.
Anyway, OK start, then it took a bit of a stumble. I’m not sure if I’m going to continue following it or not.
fasbirRoyal Road
★★★ 2.5
Your story's premise is great. But your storys timetable should be decade's not months.
Your mc would need couple decades of logistics building and experimentation to even have all this stuff.
Your resource Management is pretty bad.
Where are they getting their coal from for the blast furnace. Who is mining the coal?
How did you ship 3 months of food for 6-7K people on a single ship with all the people on it?
300 law enforcers are more then enough for 6-7K population. Have you been to a small town?
And knights are not guards. They are lower nobility. Most used to have lands that they ruled.
Infrastructure and industry aren't built in a day even in modern times. It takes years to establish a industry properly. And no having the internet doesn't makes everything easy. I mean developing a country isn't easy or fast even now.
Where are you getting your sand for making concrete? Desert & sea sand doesn't work for concrete making only river sand works. Irl there is a construction sand shortage going on.
How did you transported tons of limestone in such a short time without modern machines?
Where are your getting your gypsym from?
How are you distilling so much water without modern equipment for open farming in a desert?
Steam engines aren't magic. They needs lots of coal to function. They don't create mass manufacturing. You could have used waterwheels or windmills.
How does the currency even work?
Your logistics doesn't make any sense.
Cliff HongRoyal Road
★★ 1.5
Its kinda fun.
Just shut down your brain and disregard all basic truths about economics, administrative works, accountancy, warfare, construction, production, logistics, metallurgy, weaponry,... Everything about kingdom building.
Even what the internet information and knowledge application to real life.
I kinda wish the author didn't tag this as kingdom Building... Becauae the story is fun.
DarkwoodRoyal Road
★★ 1.5
If you read up to the chapter I read up to you will understand the title of my review perfectly, and the comments on that chapter reflect it.
When I started with this story, I was not expecting spreadsheets and logistically accurate import/export balance sheets. That would be dumb and needlessly pedantic for a fantasy story. What I was hoping for was some semblance of realism in what a feudal society is capable of producing and changing with the resources on hand.
Instead we get full on soviet collectivisation. I am not even kidding, the MC just states that she now owns everything, all businesses, all resource made or harvested are her personal property to distribute as she sees fit. All wages will be paid by her and she decides what people produce. In a city of 8000 people set in a feudal society.
Not that we would know the resources she has on hand as even after a full month of ruling the territory with the power of the internet and a automapping ability, something she has not used, she has not gone outside of her city to check.
Now I assume that that happens at some point in the story as I am at a fairly early chapter relative to the full length of what is written. But I have given up on it myself after the aforementioned problems.