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The heroine wakes up inside Daughter of the Duke’s Super Love Project as the infamous villainess, Penelope Eckhart. But she doesn’t get the easy route; she’s thrown into hard mode, where all the love interests’ affection meters start at 0%, and one even begins in the negatives! Now, Penelope must carefully raise affection points to escape the villainess’s destined death. A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The popular webtoon adaptation of Villains Are Destined to Die has been on my radar for a while, so when I got the chance to read the original light novel, I grabbed it instantly. Time be damned. It’s been over a decade since the villainess isekai-otome game-reincarnation template exploded, but this story still feels fresh. The pacing and tension pull you in, and it’s so satisfying to see Penelope survive through quick thinking and calculated moves. The setting is European-inspired court era, but once the sorcerer’s storyline is introduced, I got strong Code: Realize steampunk vibes. The novel immerses you in Penelope’s dark inner world.
The affection meter system is a brilliant plot device. It not only drives the characters’ interactions but also constantly shifts Penelope’s emotions, forcing her into desperate, clever, and sometimes unhinged choices. I find it funny when she’s gobsmacked at how some of the characters’ meters seem to increase on their own. The game screen itself almost feels like a sentient being: mocking yet guiding her.
Penelope completely stole my heart. Her fight for survival had me fully invested in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. The stakes feel even higher and more real compared to other villainess-doomed-to-die titles. She’s desperate, cunning, and still relatable. Even her outrageous lies left me torn between wanting to clap or wanting to smack her. Also, shoutout to the “OG Penelope”. Her off-screen antics sound so wild, I almost wish we got to meet her.
Since this is a reverse harem blog, let’s talk about the men! There isn’t a clear main love interest yet, which I love. It keeps the tension high and avoids predictability. Though it also raises my fear of an ambiguous ending… please, no! (See 7 types of reverse harem endings.) I don’t have a favorite guy yet, but if I eliminate my least favorites—the detestable brothers, the dangerous king, and the bodyguard—I’m left with the sorcerer. And I’m actually okay with that, even though I’m still a bit neutral. But I credit this to reading without bishonen visuals, which helps me not to be swayed by looks, so in rare instances, I can be clear-headed. UPDATE: The algorithm showed me spoilers! Hmmp!
In my Bloom Index (Levels of Reverse Harem), this lands at Four Flowers 🌸🌸🌸🌸: multiple men interested in the heroine. And I’m not in a rush. No sirree! I want to savor how she will raise their affection in the future. She’s also refreshingly not irritatingly baka-rina. I mean their rising affection is obvious from a reader’s point of view, but from hers, it’s not that far-fetched.
My main struggle was reconciling all the characters' development before and after the isekai transition. I wanted more time (or chapters/volumes) to process it. And the ending didn’t quite reach the climax I expected. Maybe this comes from its origins as a web novel, which wasn’t initially written with print pacing in mind. But the final scene still left a strong impression.
This was my first Korean novel and my first in-depth review in a long while (my last one was Monster and Parent in July last year). Honestly, I regretted requesting it at first because of my lack of time, but in the end, my completionist side won and I’m glad it did.
I now fully understand the hype around Villains Are Destined to Die. The novel delivers a darker take on the villainess-isekai trope, but I can totally see the full-blown romance and reverse harem potential. Like, what happens if they all reach 100%??? For those who’ve read both the manhwa and the novel, how would you rate them against each other?
Curious what other reverse harems are heating up this summer? Check out the Summer Reverse Harem 2025 line-up and the mini-impressions on Patreon.
Shop the Stories (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)
- Villains Are Destined to Die (novel), Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/3JNlNdJ
- Villains Are Destined to Die manhwa/comic (8 book series) https://amzn.to/4lHnpDm
- Code: Realize Guardian of Rebirth - Nintendo Switch Standard Edition https://amzn.to/46b0bzR
- Code: Realize Wintertide Miracles - Nintendo Switch Standard Edition https://amzn.to/45HCjU4
- Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth - The Complete Series [Blu-ray] https://amzn.to/3VduAYS
- Monster and Parent (4 book series) https://amzn.to/41PYKoQ
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