This was an intriguing and visually captivating start to a new fantasy romance manga series. The story follows the main character, who is reincarnated as a villainess and she seeks to change her fate and navigates her new world to secure a better future for herself, a common trope for these types of novels. The artwork was beautiful and the ending has left me curious as to what will happen in the next volume.

I absolutely love these kinds of comics!! Reincarnated princess who has precognition & bosses her way through political court life. Kayena was so smart & cunning & a pleasure to read. I’ll definitely be buying a copy of this once it’s available, and will recommend to readers of Villains Are Destined To Die & Beware the Villainess!

I have read this on tapas and it’ is very similar, this one’s art style is softer and less vibrant, I prefer a darker style for a dark story. Still a gripping dark reborn story.

Review to come a few days before the release day on my blog/other places.

I received this book from the publisher + Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Despite having read many many villainess stories (either humorous/serious/romantic/scheming) I always want more so I was excited when I spotted this one up on Netgalley. Of course I had to request it, of course I had to read it. Also because the cover was just stunning!

In this one we meet a princess named Kayena, she is currently at her third life. Yup. Whereas we have had many villainess stories featuring people getting a second chance or with people isekai-ed into the villainess body this one is a bit different. In the first life Kayena was a Kayena, in the second life she was a woman from Korea who read about Kayena's life in a book, and in the third she is getting a new chance at being Kayena. It was so much fun because she has her memories from her first life, but also the memories of what she read in the second life, so she is quite knowledgeable on what to do next. Because this girl? She is done with being a puppet to everyone. In the first life she helped her brother became emperor and she did everything for him which ended horrifically. In the second life she was a puppet to a boss and also ended up dying horrifically. So naturally, she is done with all that and I was curious to see how she would become the puppeteer instead of the puppet. She is going to be holding the strings and people will dance to her tune. 

And it was great fun to see her plot, scheme, and do all she could to change the events that are set to happen. For one she has changed herself. From the original Kayena who was spoiled, didn't care much as long as everyone complimented and catered to her to be more calm, more intelligent, less dramatic, less spoiled princess. And of course (because she went a 180 degree to another personality) everyone has noticed (and we see through various people important to the story how they feel about this/see them reconsider what they are doing which I absolutely loved). She knows the story, she knows the pawns and the characters, she knows what is the end game and she wants to make sure that this time everyone, including her, get a happy ending. I loved seeing her scheme, plot, plan, and think of some brilliant plans. At times it did get a bit much or too explain-y, but in overall I had fun seeing Kayena take the reins and try her best to get her happy ending and help out others (if they so deserve, haha). I also loved how she flipped a switch around her brother. Instead of complaining and simping over him like she did in the first life she is kind, nurturing, holds him, tries to help him and motivate him to gain the throne in different ways like side with other nobles/houses which leads to confusion but also a changed opinion on his sister. 

So yeah, I am definitely rooting for Kayena, she deserves a happy ending, she deserves her freedom. And I am curious to see how the next volume will go and what will happen there. 

But the COOKIES. Seriously, you would have to be fucking blind. They are all acting as if it was hard to spot and that they didn't examine it right. BOY, the almond was like ALL of the cookie. Plus, why the fuck would she eat that? There are no epipens. Was she hoping that she didn't die from a little bite? I have a nut allergy and no way in hell even with epipens nearby will I eat nuts, even a little bit. Nope. 

The art was just amazing and I love love the style. I was so jelly of Kayena's on point make-up and her absolutely stunning dresses. The artist really put so much love in those. 

Oh, and I loved the bonuses at the end of the novel with details on several characters. 

All in all, I need NEED the next book in the series because I want more. I would recommend this one to all who love villainess stories (especially changed villainesses).

I love this manhwa so much. The fmc and mmc are everything good in this life. I even like the "villain". In my defend, he is so cute haha. I do recommend this manhwa to everyone because it has everything: romance, mystery, intrigue and good storyline.

The Villainess is a Marionette: Vol. 1, written by hanirim and illustrated by manggle, is a lusciously illustrated isekai story following a born-again princess in her quest to outwit the storyline of the novel she is reincarnated into. It's a fairly typical story involving the internal politics of Kayena's royal family and their rival and allying families, and her attempts to leave the drama of royal life behind in her second change at life.

For me, it felt a little hard to connect to the overall story of The Villainess is a Marionette, mainly because Kayena doesn't yet feel quite like a villainous character and there were no real trials for her to overcome through volume 1. It also feels like we skipped a big part of the story from the beginning, in which we could have had the opportunity to see her grow into being powerful. We begin the story as a reader when she's able to stand up for herself as a protagonist and is able to break out of being "used" by her brother, and is instead able to be the puppetmaster of the family she's now reborn into.

But in being the puppetmaster, she is doing actions that don't quite make her feel like a villain. Her wants are reasonable. I connected less with this because I expected her to be truly villainous, or at the very least, be a frustrating protagonist or be put into frustrating situations.

All that said, I did find the first volume beautifully illustrated and I rather like Kayena's character. She's cunning and brilliant and is able to garner real sway in her surroundings, and I anticipate that as the story evolves, she will too. And not only that, she's able to place herself a few steps ahead of her would-be enemies, and is able to sway them onto her side rather than further foster bad relationships. She's highly interesting to me as a reader, and she's fascinating to watch make advanced plots against the people she wishes to defeat. manggle's art style is lucious and it showcases the beauty of these royal characters, which on its own makes it very easy to immerse yourself as a reader within the storyline.

Thank you to hanirim, manggle, Yenpress, IZE Press, and netgalley for an early copy to review!

Murder. Reincarnation. Politics.
Kayena has been manipulated and fooled by her brother for the last time. A modern woman is somehow reincarnated into the princess of a novel. The new and improved Princess Kayena is steadfastly determined to change the course of everyone’s lives by not allowing Regef to become Emperor. She will play the game because dying again is not an option and she will no longer be anyone’s Marionette.

#ThxNetGalley #YirimHan #TheVillainessIsAMarionetteVol1

The Villainess Is a Marionette was an engaging and visually stunning read! The artwork was gorgeous, and the story had plenty of intrigue, drama, and strong character development. The political twists kept me hooked, and the protagonist was fascinating to follow. A compelling read that left me excited for more!

The art is absolutely phenomenal! Everything about this volume was incredibly interesting, from the art to the story and characters. As a reader of many other reincarnation/transmigration manhwas, this one really stood out to me in its organization and story. It managed to turn a simple concept into something that felt unique. Kayena is a really strong female lead to follow, which I absolutely love! I would completely recommend this volume!

This series is one of my favourites and I'm always such a sucker for plots where the reincarnated villainess becomes incredibly cunning and uses everything around her to her advantage. I love how Kayena's change in attitude also causes those around her to also perceive her a bit differently and it hits really well!! 
I cannot wait to see everyone fall to her feet as the series progresses because i just love her so much 🤭

Thank you Netgalley and Ize Press for the early copy, all opinions are my own!

I absolutely loved this first volume. The story is intriguing and addictive, with a strong female lead who takes control of her destiny. I’m really impressed by how the main character plans every move so carefully—nothing she does is random. Everything has a purpose, and I love how she no longer lets others control her or influence her choices.

Also... Raffaello? So cool. Mysterious, intense, and definitely one of the characters that stands out the most. I can’t wait to see how their dynamic develops in the next volumes!

If you enjoy smart, independent heroines with a touch of drama and romance, this series is definitely worth reading.

As a start to the series, this was ok. I've read a few stories where the 'villainess' of the story gets another shot at reliving their life, and I would rate this an ok start with some potential. I appreciated that the main character made moves to try and solidify her relationship with her half-brother, and was somewhat understanding of him being in part responsible for her ultimate fate. In a, 'I am not going to trust him, but I also want to help him,' sort of way. It was good enough for me to try and sneak a peek at what would happen in future volumes online, but unfortunately I got the vibe that the brother just gets turned into a villain another way by becoming obsessed with his sister while she is both trying to solidify her relationship with him at the same time as she was making plans to get away from him AND building a relationship with the ML. Doesn't necessarily affect my rating of this volume, but disappointing all the same. I would probably classify this as a 3.5 if I excluded knowledge of where this was going in the future, and a 2.5 knowing something of what's to come.

The art is really awkward at times (the crown not fitting on the head and looking photoshopped on?). The story could be more detailed, but I’m still getting used to manga so maybe this is just a me issue!

Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press for providing me with an eARC of this manhwa, set to be released in May 2025. Below are my honest thoughts on The Villainess is a Marionette, Volume 1.

Right off the bat, this manhwa reminded me of The Villainess Needs Her Tyrant, which I am also currently reading and absolutely loving. The premise of a female lead who dies—whether by accident or through someone else’s schemes—only to be reborn into the past and given a chance to rewrite her fate is a trope I personally adore. There’s something so satisfying about watching a heroine take control of her destiny and outmaneuver those who previously wronged her.

Visually, the art style is stunning! The character designs are elegant and expressive, perfectly complementing the fantasy setting. The detailed backgrounds and vibrant color palettes make every panel feel immersive. However, while the artwork captivated me, the storyline itself felt familiar, following a path I’ve seen in many similar series. That said, I’m hopeful that the second volume will bring more unique developments to distinguish this title from others in the genre.

Overall, while The Villainess is a Marionette didn’t completely blow me away in terms of originality, I still found it enjoyable. The gorgeous illustrations and the ever-compelling villainess trope make it a solid read, and I would love to grab a final copy once it’s officially released. I’m eager to see how the story unfolds in future volumes!

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5 stars)

What a wonderful little read! A simple girl dies and wakes up as a princess, with knowledge of everything that led to her demise. I enjoyed seeing the ways Kayena was plotting with her newfound knowledge, and her owning her life as a princess. I hope to see more of Rafaello and their dynamic, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the prince!

The suspension of disbelief required to enjoy this is simply too much, a fact that is shockingly unrelated to being an isekai. (Although the protag's justification for transmigrating is........ well I'm not sure how she can possibly be such a master tactician, that's all I'll say.)

Everyone is deeply unlikeable. Like, everyone but a single minor character. Furthermore, the protagonist's character arc seems to be "I've always felt shackled to someone else's will, so to remedy that, I will shackle everyone to mine". That's a slay, I guess 💅

One of the main love interests is a man who is thought to be gay because he doesn't court women. But don't worry! He's not GAY, he just hates the presence of women, especially their cootie touch. But don't worry x2: not because he's a misogynist or anything; he has a disorder that makes him cry scream throw up with revulsion at a woman's touch. But don't worry x3: obviously the main character is immune 🩷

Who's the second love interest? Don't worry about it. Sweet Home Alabama playing in the background is unrelated.

Thank you NetGalley and Yen Press for the ARC!

I've already read this webtoon before, and I'm so exited to read it again! The way they formatted each panel is pleasing to the eye and really makes the story flow well, My only problem is that the drawings look a bit pixelated? Maybe not formatted or made bigger to resize the images, hopefully that's only for the arc and not the full release though! Overall I just love villainess and reincarnation books, and this is one that is definitely up my alley! I'm exited to reread the next volume of chapters!

This was not what I expected it to be, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Isekai manwha/webtoons are very popular, especially ones with "Villainess" main characters, so I thought this would be a repeat of a very familiar formula. What I found instead was a main character that was playing mental chess while the people around her were playing checkers. Rather than focusing on romancing the very handsome supposed love interest, Kayena is thinking about her survival and the politics of the relationships she has with her family. This is super interesting, I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.

The artwork was absolutely stunning and it really brought the story to life.

Kayena is such an interesting villainess. She's using her new life to get what she wants and she's a fantastic schemer. They might be a bit suspicious because of her drastic personality change but they truly have no idea what she's up to and she's playing the prince like a fiddle. I can't wait to see what she does next, especially with Vera.

Even though I've read soooo many villainess type mangas this one is one of my favourite so far. The art, put and characters are all super interesting >.<

I'd like to send my thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free pdf version of this manga in exchange for an honest review.