I love this reincarnation thing and that the protagonist ends up as a character from a story she knows 🙂‍↕️✨✨

I really liked Kayena, who tried to change the story so she doesn't end up dead like the original character. The protagonist, Kidrey, really caught my attention, although we don't see much of him here, I feel like it could be one of my favorite manhwas. I hope it is. The story is promising, so I want to read more.


Thanks ize press / netgalley for the arc

For whatever reason I just could not get into this story. Though I do think it has a lot of potential for the right audience. The art work was fantastic and I thought the characters themselves were very interesting and have a lot of room for growth within them. Overall it was ok, just not for me. I did really appreciate that at the end of the book they had a breakdown of each character and their features/information about them.

Excellent start to a series. Kayena wakes up from being poisoned with memories of her past life in the modern world and memories of the fate of her character. She is determined to ensure her survival and freedom.

I find it fascinating that instead of getting rid of her brother, who had a hand in her death, she is still determined to put him on the throne. It was amazing to see how she uses her knowledge to change things into her favour.

I can't wait to read more!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-Arc and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

This is a Korean graphic novel with a villainess main character. She was reborn into a fantasy novel's world after she died on Earth. If those tropes are too cliché, this story is not for you. I, however, never get weary of them.

The protagonist, Kayena Hill, weaves herself between the political intrigues to avoid her original tragic fate. Her manipulative tactics mark her as "bad," yet her goals are for peace and stability. She wields wit and charm to navigate a toxic environment.

It's refreshing to read a story in which there are few characters who don't use common sense or logic.

These stories are so beautiful. There are more and more of them, and I want to read them all. Yes, all of them.

This genre, which I don't know whether to call isekai or what... captivated me several years ago, and now more and more stories like this are being published. The truth is, they all have a touch that makes them special, and this one captivated me instantly. I feel like the protagonist has many interesting tools to change the future, and I hope her brother can come to his senses.

I'm eagerly awaiting the second part because I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

Thank you so much, Yen Press, for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another villainess transmigration story where the main character does her best to prevent their tragic ending from coming to pass. These stories are my junk food, my guilty pleasure; I read them for the beautiful art style, the predictable redemption stories, and the romances between characters who weren't supposed to fall in love but can't resist each other. Villainess protagonists tend to have more personality and dimension to them compared to the straightforward Mary Sue or self-insert heroines of old, and Kayena sticks to this archetype. They can either get away with more vicious and underhanded behavior, or upend the expectations of those around them by doing good deeds. Either way, their motivations are almost always selfish, even if what they do ends up helping others and saving the world, so I find it more entertaining than the average hero's journey. The romantic interests almost always fall first and fall hard, there's some angst when the female lead feels conflicted about reciprocating those feelings, and the obstacles to overcome in order to reach their happy ending are EXTERNAL 99% of the time, not a ridiculous miscommunication. Anyway suffice to say I like Kayena and Rafael.

There are two major pieces that make this story stand out: the relationship between Kayena and her half-brother Regef, and the tool Kayena gains in a future volume that I won't spoil. Because this is just volume 1, most of the contents will seem similar to the majority of villainess manhwas you can find out there. But there is plenty to look forward to that will delight you, so if you're like me and can't get enough beautiful villains taking control of their fates, buckle in!

On a final note, this one seems to be another adaptation with limited changes compared to the online serialized release. I cannot discern any updates or changes to the translation beyond the typical standardization of Proper Nouns (names, places, fantasy terms) and some new illustrations for the cover, endpapers, and chapter partitions. I hope there's more bonus content in future volumes, since the three character sheets at the end were pretty limited in this one.

I've always loved isekai and reincarnation novels and manhwa so this was a treat to read! Its was nice to see the heroine navigate everything differently in this life! Excited to see more!

This was so much fun!! I went into the book completely blind, not knowing what to expect and it truly was a pleasant surprise.

The artwork was amazing and very colourful. The story was gripping and the characters were very interesting.

Can't wait to read the next volume!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!!

This is one of those villainess stories that really grabbed my attention and I just needed more inmediately.

As many others, our protagonist has a horrible ending and a new chance at life and she grabs it with both hands, vowing to survive this time around and come on top. Kayena is not only beautiful she is brilliant, and watching her manipulate her way in the various palace intrigues is very satisfying.

The art is amazing, I am a bit of a snob, as in I absolutely enjoy onepunch man but could never read the original ONE manga, so take my word when I say that the art is stunning.

This one is a great read for anyone that enjoys the reincarnation trope and a smart character making sure she can survive and thrive in dangerous place.

I really loved the concept of the storyline in this Manga! It was well drawn and the storyline was without a hitch!

Another transmigration story, but this one holds my attention a bit more than the rest I have read in this genre. I'm always a sucker for a cunning FL, and this FL is extremely cunning! Cunning to the point where other characters are confused how she suddenly became so intelligent overnight, but that gets glossed over very quickly. I don't know why it's glossed over so fast, These other characters should be a little more suspicious, as she was considered a vapid bubble-headed brat, but whatever. She is now a brilliant strategist, using her knowledge of the future (though the story acts as if her life in our world was her "second life," which is a very weird choice) to manipulate the events into becoming favorable toward her. Her goal is to choose a husband of her own, to avoid her bloody fate with her abusive husband from the original timeline. However, the plot blurb for this book is very odd. There are no romantic male leads in this volume. Even if there was, there technically should only be one, seeing as the only other option is her literal blood brother. Yikes. The art is gorgeous if you ignore certain things that are very obviously traced over from a 3D model. Pretty much ALL manwha do this now, so it's easy to ignore.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

The art in here is so pretty that I could just stare at some of the scenes for a long time. The storyline is good, and the translation is understandable. Love.

I love reading manhwa's so I was excited when I got approved for this!
I think the art in this one is done beautifully and is really suited for the type of story with the court drama and the plot of going back in time. I think the story is good enough to keep you enticed and the art doesn't pull away but adds to it and complements well. I can't wait to see where this story goes.
Thank you to Yen Press and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press/Ize Press for the e-arc!

First of all, I love the art. It is gorgeous and one of the best art I have seen in manhwa, However, I sadly didn't enjoy the plot. I don't find Kayena a likeable character. Her stepbrother has a weird sister complex for her which is a trope I don't like in general and a nasty temperament. As for ML, I can't say much other than he is pretty.

Another fun take on the villainess storyline but I was not interested in the romantic plot. Thanks for providing me with the ARC.

The Villainess is a Marionette is a perfect blend of court intrigue, romance, and power dynamics, as well as a great addition to the isekai genre. Our heroine, Kayena, was an imperial princess--framed as an evil villainess and left to a wretched fate in her past life. Unexpectedly, she goes back in time to relive her past, meticulously altering it to avoid a bitter end and hopefully attain freedom. This time, Kayena vows to no longer be a puppet of her vicious brother, nor fall victim to a jealous and abusive husband, but instead claim power in her own right. Thus begins Kayena's fight to cut the puppet strings she strained against in her past life and stand on her own in the treacherous imperial palace.

The first volume of this manhwa sets the tone for Kayena's uphill battle against her dire circumstances. She is trapped in a web with enemies on all sides, and desires only freedom from her past and the palace itself. The artwork is a gorgeous contrast to this dark and twisty narrative, with spectacular character designs and opulent detailing. While the art is a highlight of the volume, the plot is serpentine and requires readers' full attention to follow the various motives and schemes within the palace. Kayena has a great advantage in knowing how the story played out in the past, but is constantly juggling her volatile younger brother, indifferent father, and previously one-sided love interest. By the way, if you're looking for a green-flag male lead, Raffaello is the one! Every panel with him is a delight to the senses, and romance readers will be stunned! I can't wait for the next volume in Kayena's story!

Thanks again to Yen Press for providing me an advance reading copy of The Villainess is a Marionette, Vol 1. My review is, as always, truthful and unbiased, and I hope it helps introduce readers to new books they will love!

I love a good villainess isekai, and this one brings a fun twist to the trope. Kayena lived her first life as herself, a princess in this fantasy world, then lived a second life in the "real world," where she read the books about her fantasy life. Now she's got a second chance at living her original life as Princess Kayena, reset to a time where she's still got time to turn things around.

This is the first volume in the series, and I'm eagerly awaiting volume 2! I definitely recommend this one for fans of Villains are Destined to Die by SUOL & Gwon Gyeoeul.

Thank you Yen press for the copy!

Another fun take on the villainess storyline. I really love how clever and sneaky the FMC is and I’m super interested to see how her relationship with Raffaello changes as he seems to be slowly growing more affectionate for her.

I will admit there were a few times the story skipped around with characters that I got a wee bit confused. Mainly with her lady’s in waiting and Olivia but it got much clearer as the story went on.

Super interested to see where the story goes.

3.5 Stars.

The story was gripping (though the realtionship between the half-siblings gave me the ick every now and then) the pacing was fast and the drawings were gorgeous.

Can't wait for the second volume!

Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press/Ize Press for the e-arc!

I am always down to read new villainess stories and this did not disappoint. The Villainess Is a Marionette follows Kayena Hill, a novel villainess who is used as a pawn in her brother's schemes and left to die. When she wakes up as Kayena Hill again, she resolves to change her future for the better. This plot is nothing new if you are a fan of the villainess genre but this title so far has done it well. Kayena realizes the best way to avoid being a pawn is to be equally manipulative. I am willing to see where this goes after this volume and recommend checking it out when it is published.