This is a pretty common fantasy story with many mainstream tropes. Our story follows Nina, who is an orphan stealing for a living with her two “brothers” to survive. However, when one of them passes away she gets sold to Prince Azure and becomes a replacement for the dead Priestess, Princess Alisha.

The cover art speaks for the artwork inside. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and the character designs are quite captivating. I liked the details, in the facial expressions and clothing, as well as how the personality of the character was well reflected in their design. Also I liked Nina’s catlike eyes that appeared from time to time. However, the backgrounds are comparatively lackluster as they don’t add value to the panels. Such as, lack of details in rugs, shading in buildings to depict time or temperature, and much more. There are more mood backgrounds than anything, which is nice but doesn’t help with world building.

The plot wasn’t anything interesting and I’ll probably regret starting this series later on. Nina is a carefree, fun, empathetic individual who puts others before herself. That said, Nina has romantic feelings towards someone who doesn’t understand emotions and Nina is supposed to marry a neighboring country’s prince. A prospective love triangle has already been hinted at and I’m not really good with those. The story also doesn’t indulge in the royal family, politics or other characters too heavily in the first volume. I believe it’s focusing on the events surrounding Nina and Prince Azure primarily.

The character growth is sudden and erratic. Nina’s feelings for Prince Azure develop quite suddenly, although unconfirmed. The story so far didn’t indicate them having any “special moments” where these potential feelings would have developed. Also there’s a time skip so we only get short glimpses into what Nina’s training was like. On the other hand, Prince Azure’s growth isn’t evident and there are still a lot of unknowns about his character and circumstances. We do however, know that he is quite competent and if he tried, then he’d could be the next ruler.

Overall this was a good read even though it’s predictable. The first volume does a fairly good job in trying to set up the circumstances surrounding Nina, including her past and hinting at her possible future. The events in this volume go fast which I liked and the cover artwork is absolutely gorgeous. I’ll be continuing this series in the near future especially if it continues at this pace.

A nice start to this series which has intrigued me enough that I will continue reading. The art style is beautiful and I found the story very cute. I believe it has a lot of potential to grow and expand on its characters and would like to see more interactions between Nina and Prince Azure. I would also like to get to know more about prince azure and his backstory.

This is a fun and very pretty shojo and was an easy quick read, I would recommend if you like palace settings and historical romance.

Thank you Kodansha and Netgally for giving me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The art style is what drew me to this manga, it's quite beautiful. Second thing that drew me in was the fact that it was a fantasy! Some of my favourite mangas growing up were set in fantastical worlds, or set in the past.

Nina is our main character, who is an orphan with these very rare blue eyes. All she wants is someone to praise her, and to be there for her. Unfortunately because of her rare eyes, she gets kidnapped and made to act as a priestess Princess, who unfortunately passed away. It is apparent Nina has suffered tremendous trauma in her past, but still has a naivety about her. This may be a hinderance to her, but also is part of her charm.

In this first volume it foreshadows lots of political intrigue to come, as well as potentially some 'enemies' to lovers. I am intrigued by the beginning of this manga series, and will definitely be reading on!

This manga is more fitting for the adult graphic novels section in my library, so I will have to suggest that they purchase it because I can see it going out a lot.

Rating: 3.44 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 2.5/5
-Cover (+art): 5/5
-Story: 2/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA, Josei
-Fantasy: 2/5
-Romance: 1/5
-YA: 5/5
-Josei: 5/5
Type: Ebook
Worth?: I suppose

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't something that held my attention for long periods nor did it have me wanting to hurry to see how the volume ended. I felt like I have read these type of mangas a lot before. I will say that betrayal was a bitch move. The art was lovely, though the cover gave me webtoon vibes. So I am wondering if it were a webtoon before becoming a manga.

Thank you NetGalley, for providing me with this arc, in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the best manga I’ve read so far. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes character driven fantasy, court intrigue and the found family trope!

The cover and the illustrations inside are beautiful and elegant.

The story is engaging, detailed and strong! And I am really looking forward to reading the sequel.

In the land of Fortna, there’s a Castle Town called Dayon.

Saji, his sickly little brother Colin and our main character Nina, live there together in poverty. All their relatives died 5 years ago, from the plague. They survive by stealing and have a hard but pleasant life together.

When Colin’s condition gets worse and Saji tells Nina she doesn’t understand how he feels because she’s not family, Nina runs away and tries to steal enough money to afford a doctor for Colin. But she fails and she feels so miserable and lonely and wishes for even just a single person to be on her side.

Colin dies and Saji betrays Nina. She thinks he has sold her to slavers but it’s actually a prince called Azure. He wants her to replace a lost (presumed dead) priestess-princess.

I loved Nina, she’s so strong, nice and wise but she’s also lonely and emotional at times. She felt so real and I found myself rooting for her. Prince Azure was amazing too. Strong, mysterious and with his heart in the right place. And I loved his little brother Muhulum and how Nina improved the relationship between Muhulum and Azure.

The court intrigue kept me on my toes and Nina was always doing things she shouldn’t do and that made this really entertaining.

This story follows Nina, an orphan whose rare blue eyes match those of the princess. When said princess dies in an accident, a body double is suddenly needed, and this is where Nina comes in.

Conceptually, this should have checked all my boxes. However, for some reason, this didn't do it for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and I found the storytelling a little sloppy as well. It's not bad, but I think this is a case of a manga not working for me.

I won't be continuing with the series, but I could see how someone who enjoys series like Snow White with the Red Hair could enjoy this as well. I personally wouldn't compare this to the Apothecary Diaries.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I was very surprised about how much I actually enjoyed this manga! I'm not huge or romances that take place in old historical type settings but I liked the characters so much that I was drawn in anyway.
Nina an orphan after the plague is sold to the second prince of the fictional Fortna. He needs her to pretend to be his recently deceased sister so she can be wed in a political alliance.
Azure the prince and Nina the street rat don't get along at first. But eventually you can feel the chemistry as they come around to each other. They are really cute together. I'm anxiously awaiting the next volume to see more growth in their relationship.

I also love the art! The costumes and character designs are gorgeous. I came in not knowing much about the story and with low expectations but I really am interested to read the next volume to see what other adventures Nina gets herself into. 3.5⭐️

Thank you Kodansha and Netgally for giving me a copy of this ARC. This review and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Nina the Starry Bride has a great story and illustration style. I can't wait to read the next volume and find out what happens next!

I was hesitant at the beginning but it did pick up at the end!

My main issue was the slow beginning,and the lack of character development (we could of seen way more interactions between the two mcs, along with development of each other characters themselves). This was a cute read, with a LOT of potential to turn out into a great series,and I'd recommend for anyone looking for a fun, fast read.

Ill most likely continue the series!

A gorgeous manga with absolutely stunning art, and the storyline was very fun too. I think this could be a very interesting series, and I look forward to reading the next one! Characters were very entertaining.

I'm excited to read more! I'm really enjoying natural chemistry the main characters have with each other. I want to know more about who Nina actually is!!

I really enjoyed this manga, but it isn't super original. The concept is very familiar but since this is the first book and more of a set up for the rest of the series I think that's to be expected. As the series continues, I'm sure the author will bring new ideas and more individuality to the story. I really liked Azure's character and the way the relationship between him and Nina grows throughout. I did not expect to like his little brother, the heir apparent, but he grew on me and I look forward to seeing what the trio get up to in the next volume. The format and artwork are very well done and the author created characters that a reader can root for while also throwing in some "villains" which is expected of this type of manga. While Nina felt a little juvenile, she is supposed to be a teenager (15) and it allows more room for growth and maturity throughout the series. Also, she was basically just kidnapped and taken away from everything she's ever known, so she gets a pass. She's still likable and is a good middle ground for maturity with Azure being the most mature, responsible older sibling and his brother Muhulum being the youngest and very immature. I look forward to the next volume in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and Kondansha Comics for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This review has been posted to Goodreads on 10/24/23.

A cute take on a common tale of finding a replacement for a royal/important person in a common girl, and Nina may be a child of the streets but she does have at least some agency in agreeing to stand in and learn what she should do without being a pushover or any sort of helpless maiden or anything.

The art and character designs are nice, and I like that Azure, the prince-slash-pseudo-military dude that takes her in to foster this replacement conspiracy is trying to understand her despite his serious nature as more than just a pawn to be married off.

I see some reviews that were like "moved quickly, needed more worldbuilding' but it's a fairly standard setting/theme and plays off the knowledge that there ARE standard themes in place so I don't personally find anything really lacking? I'll keep reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the eARC!

Lovely story, though not terribly original. (I was sure I’d read this before, but it was another similar story where special eyes played an important role in choosing an heir.) Nina is an orphan in the slums whose adoptive brother sells her to the second prince to act as his little sister who has recently died.

It’s not easy to turn a slum girl into a princess, especially as she fights him every step of the way, and the court intrigue is trying to oust her. Little by little, she finds a place for herself and even makes a friend. But the day is drawing nearer when she needs to move to the neighboring kingdom to marry the crown prince there. And she doesn’t want to go.

I enjoyed this first volume. The illustrations were lovely and the pace was good. I’m looking forward to reading how Nina will fare and if there will be a romance between her and the prince—and how they’ll pull it off without ruining everything.

4/5

Nina the Starry Bride is about 15 year old Nina, an orphan who has come by some really hard times. One day she is betrayed by her only friend and ends becoming a double for the princess, betrothed to a king of another land. With only a small staff knowing of Nina’s secret, she must learn how to be a princess and fool the world or else she and those who know will be killed for their deception. Luckily she has the help of strict but handsome Prince Azure.

I swear I’ve read this before. If not, then it’s similar to a manga I’ve read before. Either way, Nina the Starry Bride vol 1 is a decent beginning to what I hope to be a super dramatic and epic story.

The art style is beautiful, along with the paneling and flow. It was also fun to see the different fashion styles and architecture the mangaka used in this fantasy book. (Mini spoiler:) I enjoyed the part where Nina’s name is said a lot towards the end. I was able to imagine it as if it was animated. I thought it was really well done for manga format.

So far Nina is kind of a bland character, but with the last chapter of this volume, I hope she builds a bit more character and “pizazz”. I’m also interested to learn more about the lord behind eye colours in this world.

Overall, a great beginning that makes me interested to read more.

Nina the Starry Bride is a fantasy manga about an orphan girl, Nina, whose brother sold her to the Prince Azure. Nina’s life completely changed when Azure decided to use Nina as the body double of a dead princess, Alisha.

It was a fun read. I like the way Nina tried to adjust to her new life in the palace and got to know people in the palace quickly.

I liked the artwork; it was detailed and beautiful. I enjoyed reading this manga; it was an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading vol. 2.

I feel like the pace was too fast and because of that, a lot of filler information that would've helped with the flow of the story was left out. More world building in general would be nice, but also just taking time with those action packed/heartfelt moments would really make them more impactful. The art style is nice though.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book!
Nina is an orphan girl with blue eyes who is taken off the streets to act like the princess and fool everyone. I enjoyed this book. I did not like the queen as she was a bitch. I will definitely recommend this book!

It's not the most original novel, There are many novels like this where a girl or boy had to replace an missing or dead royal or someone important but it's still very interesting and such a comfort read. There are some unique part of the story that haven't been touched by similiar novels like this which does make it stand out a bit more. The art work is so beautiful and really sucks you into the story. You can see that Nina and Azure has a lot of chemistry already and I can't wait for book 2 to see how it grows!

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.