sasa's Manga

refreshing take on the contract marriage trope where the reason for the contract isn't simply "ML will find his true love in X years so let me get rich in the mean time". Also, it's fun to see the guy being the one to propose the contract marriage.

Dexter with less drama

eldritch priest doing an apocalypse so he can taste again

it's a good story that has a lot of fun characters to get attached to. I don't mind the ending either, I see it as an exploration of what it'd be like to face off against a real cosmic horror. It might not be for everyone, but if you stop immediately once everyone starts going to the battlefield, you can avoid it.

Possibly one of the best court intrigue novels ever.

An amnesiac girl finds herself in a shadow castle full of strange inhabitants living in perpetual darkness. The secretive master of the castle allows her to stay in its relative safety till her memories return, but warns her never to leave her room after nightfall. Each encounter only adds another layer of mystery to her predicament as she navigates her way around this strange castle and its stranger inhabitants.

A great story well worth reading! It tracks the journey of a disowned young noble girl sent to war and her path in life as she becomes a respected soldier, a young king who goes from being a conqueror to a wise and just ruler, and the lives of those around them as they accompany them on their journey while living their own lives. No satellite characters or mary sues here, everyone has their own believable stories and motivations. I hope this can be made into a movie or series one day!

I like that MC has a clear motive and is willing to depart from her knowledge of the novel world when circumstances change. The other characters are a little bit like satellites but at least MC is the kind of mary sue who is interesting to read about. A fun female oriented power fantasy of sorts.