ARC provided by NetGalley & Kodansha Comics.
Release Date (Paperback): October 24, 2023


Content/Trigger Warnings: Brief mentions of a plague, brief mentions loss of loved ones, underage drinking, talk of poverty and financial hardship, loneliness, death, depictions of blood

I wanted to love my time reading this and to be fair, I did enjoy some things, but I definitely had some issues. I loved the setting and some of the details we get of the fated king/queen. The personal conversations that our main character has with side characters were really great and I enjoyed those a lot. The relationship with Nina and Azure were chef's kiss! However, I has a lot of struggles with this. Firstly, the marketing for this doesn't feel right or more misleading. This definitely reads and feels is more shoujo romance than josei. Plain and simple. The plot of this story also felt a bit clunky at times, as well. On the topic of storyline, there's a whole political tension plot that's happening, but despite this being the introduction volume to the series, we have no idea what political tension is even about. My other issue and probably the biggest issue for me was everyone calling each other brother or sister. It got really confusing really quick and I think it'll make a lot of readers think Nina and Azure are related, and it's never made clear. It just wasn't the best approach to that whole thing and it rubs off as icky at times. Overall, this was an okay story with beautiful art and a fast pace, but I probably won't be continuing with this series. It just wasn't working for me and nothing really held my interest. In fact, I was actually skimming large sections because I just wasn't captivated the way I was hoping to be.


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

set in a historical place called fortna, a homeless kid goes by the name nina is lives off her life stealing from the rich people together with the other orphaned siblings, saji and colin. when colin died of an illness, saji decided to sell nina to azure, the second prince of fortna, who plans for nina to be the replacement of the "missing" alisha, the country's priestess, and soon to be wed to the crown prince of galgada. in three months, she would be trained befitting of being a priestess and a princess before the wedding.

the first volume does not disappoint! here we are introduced to the main characters and the setting of the story. so far, i like the chemistry between azure and nina. although they did not start off well, there seems to be a resemblance of their upbringing, and the tutor-student dynamic make them closer than ever. in terms of power dynamics within the royalties, there seems to be tension between the current queen and azure, but, as what azure said, he liked and would rather the queen be upfront about her hostility than stab him in the back. aside from that, the art is gorgeous! i keep on being drawn by azure's face lmao

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for allowing me to read and review Nina the Starry Bride Vol. 1! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nina the Starry Bride is about Nina, a child living in the slums with unusual colored eyes. When the Princess Alisha dies in a tragic accident, Nina is captured by the royal guard to become a doppelganger for the lost princess. Nina has to adapt and train unwillingly to become a true copy of Alisha while also trying her best to avoid the queen and navigate royal customs.

Nina the Starry Bride vol. 1 is a great introduction to the series. There were times when I think either the story was confusing or I was just confused by the relations between characters in the beginning. Once I figured it all out, it was smooth sailing. I do like Nina and I think she'll turn out to be a good character later, with a little more development and depth. Right now we are seeing her learn to become the princess she's pretending to be. And how she's trying to mesh the two-sides of herself: who she has to be and was before. I'm interested in reading more about Azure and his backstory. Right now he's just a mentor for Nina and baby-sitter/bodyguard. I'm also curious about the younger prince and if he will actually train with Azure later in the series. So far, the queen is pretty much a one-note antagonist and she gives off vibes like she's the type of villain that twirls a curved mustache.

I'm honestly hoping for more development for these characters cause I think they could be fun to read about if done right.

The artwork is pretty and the cover is gorgeous.

3.75 stars

Loved the artwork (it's so very cute), but I was a little...confused by the relationship dynamics of the characters.

On page 62, the king says "I believe I entrusted your care to your half-brother Azure..." Now, I know that Nina isn't really Alisha isn't the princess, and it's hinted that Azure isn't Azure, so technically they aren't related BUT no one else in the story knows that! The king and queen might know but still!

Am I just really confused about this? I don't think there should be confusion about this. If the villagers are thinking you're half-siblings and everyone is going along with it, maybe a cute romantic relationship shouldn't be in question until some things are cleared up first. This confusion put me off, especially when you're convinced Azure is thinking about his half-sister that way until the end when you discover that they're not related and it's confirmed that he's also an imposter.

This is the first volume, though, ao who knows where it'll go.

First, thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this for an honest review.

This book felt like the shoujo manga I would read back in high school. It has Yona of the Dawn vibes but with a more interesting rags to riches, almost akin to Furuba/Fruits Baskets. The art is gorgeous and the characters, the usual archetypes but one does not read shoujo without expecting and inviting those character archetypes! It’s a wonderful first book that is setting up a great story. It also has the same vibes as Finding Camilla to be honest. I will continue the series because it is cute and like I said, reminiscent of high school manga reading. 4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha, and RIKACHI for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Nina is sold into slavery, she doesn't expect to have to go through training to be the double of a dead princess! She must fulfill the reuse in front of the king and queen or face execution. She makes a bonding friendship with the very young heir, as well as the second prince, and her kidnapper, Azure. A romance seems to blossom between the two, though that might complicate things as Nina, feigning being Princess Alisha, is already set to be married to one of the other prince's!

I absolutely love the art in this manga. It is gorgeous and enjoyable to just take in and admire before going to the next page. I like the general plot, even if it is something that has been seen often enough. There is enough allure and tension that I very much want to read the next volume and wonder just how many volumes the course of this story might take. I recommend for readers of shoujo fantasy and romance.

Story goes, princess dies by accident and they have to find someone to replace her so the king does not find out. A little bit of enemies to lovers (I assume, but we don't get that yet). I kind of see the cute bond between them. I think I'm gonna love this series.

Nina is one of a ragtag bunch of orphans who steal just to stay alive, but her life changes for the better and the worse when one of her only friends sells her freedom to none other than the haughty, overbearing second prince of their entire kingdom, Azure. Azure has just one job for nina - she has to play the part of astral Princess Alisha to perfection, up to and including marrying the princess' future husband, another kingdom's crown prince.

When I looked up the Japanese title I was surprised to see it started serializing 2019, because it really gave me huge 00's-early 10's shoujo vibes that I can't explain other than saying I was a big shoujo reader during the 00's-early 10's so you really just have to take my word for it. It's something about how Nina's rough past gives her a scrappy kind of air around her but she still is kind of "soft" enough to get trapped into schemes larger than her and so Azure probably has to have her back - something like that. Surprisingly my personal favorite development from this volume is that the vaguely mean queen's kid Muhulum and "Princess Alisha" strike up a wholesome little friendship and he's the one who thinks he'll miss his big sister when she gets married away, aww that was so sweet!

ARC provided by NetGalley

I seriously loved this. I'm not usually that into fantasy but the specific type of fantasy that this is doing I really do love. I wish I could describe it to you to better express what exactly drew me to this and why I liked it. I can't do that but I can give you a few examples of similar stories if that will help, KING'S BEAUTY, Vol.1 and The King's Beast, Vol. 1 are the first to come to my mind. One element of these things that I can definitively say I find captivating in storytelling is the girl being sold into captivity to some royalty/person of power. It's always a good start-up and provides an interesting dynamic for characters. I did also like the art here which is sometimes a make or break thing with such a visual medium. I definitely need more of this in my life and hope other people like this.

Ok, questo manga mi ha subito conquistata!
I disegni sono stupendi e la storia mi ha intrigata tantissimo.
Ovvio che sicuramente prima o poi questa cosa dell'impersonificazione della principessa verrà scoperta...e poi siamo sicuri che sia veramente morta la vera principessa? Il mio sesto senso dice di no. Non abbiamo visto il corpo dopotutto!
Comunque mi piace molto il rapporto che hanno i due protagonisti e la scena in cui discutono verso la fine del volume è stata molto toccante. Si intravede anche il passato di Azure che a quanto pare non deve essere stato semplice anche per lui.
Sono ultra curiosa e voglio assolutamente continuare a leggerlo!

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima!

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Ok, this manga immediately won me over!
The drawings are gorgeous and the story intrigued me a lot.
Obviously sooner or later this thing about impersonating the princess will be discovered...and are we sure that the real princess is really dead? My sixth sense says no. We didn't see the body after all!
However, I really like the relationship that the two protagonists have and the scene in which they argue towards the end of the volume was very touching. We also glimpse Azure's past which apparently must not have been easy for him either.
I'm ultra curious and I absolutely want to keep reading it!

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read it!

It was a great introduction to this serie, it got me hooked for more and I’ll definitely try to read the rest.

I feel the advertising of this book was a bit misleading... if you are looking for a historic josei the likes of Otoyomegatari, this is definitey not that. But if you are in for some shoujo romance with people dressed in pretty clothes and having arranged marriages, and the tone flipping between lighthearted antics and R-romance D-drama, this could be your read. This volume is largely expositionary, through, with a little bit of the villain of the week going on as well. One thing I have to say is -- the art is very smooth and lovely.

Thanks Kodansha and Netgalley for letting me read Nina and the Starry Bride.

An orphaned girl gets taken off the streets to pretend to be the dead princess. She gets taught by the Princess' half brother Azure to ensure she is convincing enough to follow through with the arranged marriage.

Theres a forbidden love forming between them both and I'm excited to see where thst leads. Azure is book boyfriend material; quiet, mysterious, 'touch her and you die' and i am here for it!

Some sneaky characters come into play near the end so I need to read vol 2 right away!

Thank you NetGalley for the free copy in return for an unbiased review.

A young orphan girl named Nina is living in the streets when one of her "friends" sells her off to some people looking for a girl with blue eyes. Turns out, they need a body double for a princess who has supposedly died, and since the only thing people know about this princess is that she has blue eyes, Nina is the perfect stand in! Nina has extremely rare blue eyes, so it would be hard to find someone else to fit the part. As Nina starts her double life as a princess, she finds she has a lot to learn to become the princess "Alisha".

I loved this first installment in the Nina the Starry Bride manga series. The artwork reminded me a lot of Witch Hat Atelier, and the main character Nina reminded me a lot of Anya from Spy x Family (the have similar facial expressions). I thought the artwork was beautifully drawn, and the plot was very intriguing. I highly recommend to fans of fantasy manga, especially for those who might like the rags to riches trope. I also believe this is going to turn into a romance, but so far nothing yet! I am excited to read more installments in this series and would absolutely recommend!

5/5 Stars

The artstyle is very smooth and easy to read, but I feel surprised this is tagged as josei: in truth this is straight up shoujo fantasy romance, with mysterious and tragic ML and chaotic, impulsive heroine in a bulletproof hero‘s armour. While it was perfectly alright to read the first volume to understand the setup, there isn’t enough depth in the story to hold my attention. Lavish outfits or no, Otoyomegatari this isn’t.

3.5 stars. A quick and easy read. May contain spoilers!

I really like the characters and their development. Though the plot is a bit bland for my taste, I like how different the setting of the story is. Not a lot of mangas have this type of setting. The relationship between Azure and Nina is so beautiful. They are humorous together and the way they support each other is *chefs kiss.* Azure’s brother, Muhulum, is also a very cute character. I like how his character development changed and his true feelings were stated. Speaking of character development, Nina’s development was huge. She was taken away when she was young, but I admired how strong minded and positive she was. I did feel sad at the begging when they took her away forceful and took her name, Nina, away. But the way Azure said he’ll call her Nina if no one else would was 🥰😍❤️‍🩹

This is a first volume with a lot of promise and intriguing characters, but ultimately was a bit confusing and off to a slow start. Nina is coerced into pretending to be the dead princess, due to having the same eyes as her. This volume focuses on her training to take the role and adapting to the life of royalty. Poor Nina is a former street kid orphan surrounding by schemes and political machinations, with only Azure, the prince asking her to keep up this ruse, as a tentative ally. The two have a fun dynamic, though the rest of the characters fall a little flat. The plot is simple, but introduced in a choppy way, with a brief look at future events before going back to the beginning of things. There's minimal explanation of the political issues and tensions being introduced, so it's a bit confusing to follow what's going on around Nina. The art is the stand out feature of this book, the illustrations are fantastic and so fun to look at. I'll continue reading purely for the art, though I hope that the plot will sort itself out in future volumes.

A poor girl is forced to pretend to take on the identity of a dead princess-priestess, her new role will give her wealth and a better life... but at what cost to her own identity? Nina is a girl who has lead a rough life, living in the slums, trying to survive. But one day she is abducted by Prince Azure who tells her that she'll be given the life of a princes... but she'll have to pretend to take on the role of the recently deceased princess-priestess because they have the same eyes. This could be a whole new opportunity for Nina, but this new life will come with it's own costs. She'll have to survive court politics, assassins, and the feeling of losing her own identity and past. This was an interesting beginning to the story, I know that the books themselves have up to 10 volumes and the author still plans on writing more and I have read the next few books, and can say if you like light romance, love triangles, and princess stories then give this a go!

*Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Quick Summary: Outstanding Manga magic!

My Review: Nina the Starry Bride, Volume 1 by Rikachi was dynamic. The story immediately captured my attention and kept me engaged through its entirety. The plot was intriguing, connecting the past and the present to create a captivating tale. The character dynamics, emotional arcs, and action sequences were detailed enough to keep things interesting. The illustrations were so visually appealing. They made the story come alive. Before I knew it, I was at the end of the volume, wishing for more.

About the Book: When the Priestess-Princess seemingly dies, another is found to take her place. The replacement princess is not what she seems, or is she? Nina and the golden-eyed Second Prince of Fortna, Seth, embark on a journey of discovery and exploration. In so doing, they uncover mean spirited people who seek to harm them and keep them from their goal.

About the Characters: Nina and Seth share a secret together. They also each have unique back stories. There is an emotional tie that connects them. This installment allowed a glimpse of something more. They also share a loss of a family bond - Nina with her parents/found family and Seth with his mother figure. Because of what they have had to endure, it has shaped them and affected how they interact with each other and with others.

Other Characters: There are a number of notable characters that help to move the story along. The story is taking shape, making it easier to spot potential allies versus enemies.

My Final Say: Volume 1 laid a solid foundation. This promises to be an excellent series. I cannot wait for more! I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA and higher
Series: Yes
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Kodansha Comics), and to NetGalley, who provided access to this work in exchange for an honest review.

From its captivating art to its intriguing storyline, this volume held my attention from start to finish, and I devoured it in a single sitting.

The artwork in Nina the Starry Bride is nothing short of wonderful. Rikachi's skillful illustrations bring the characters and settings to life, immersing readers in a visually stunning world that perfectly complements the story's rich narrative. The attention to detail and the expressive character designs greatly enhance the overall reading experience.

The plot revolves around Nina, an orphan with a striking resemblance to Prince Azure's deceased half-sister. Nina's sudden inclusion in the royal court as a potential replacement for the lost princess sets the stage for a classic enemies-to-lovers dynamic. While this storyline trope is not entirely new, it's well-executed twists and turns and the mystery surrounding the deceased princess adds depth to the narrative, making it all the more compelling.

While the plot may share similarities with other stories in the same vein, it didn't detract from my enjoyment. Instead, I found myself drawn into the world and eagerly turning the pages to uncover more about the characters and their fates.

As I reached the end of Vol. 1, I was left eagerly anticipating the next volume. The story has laid a solid foundation, and I'm excited to see how the relationships between the characters develop and how the mysteries surrounding the princess's death are unraveled.

Thank you, Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.