Nina the starry bride vol 1 by rikachi

Nina starts off life as an orphan, but is quickly sold out by someone she trusted. Her beautiful blue eyes make her rare and alluring, but also an almost perfect double for the recently deceased princess Alisha. Her captor is Prince Azure, Alisha’s older brother, who brings Nina into the palace and strikes a deal with her to impersonate the princess in exchange for a comfortable life. Nina goes through etiquette training and soon has to put her acting skills to the test in front of the king, Alisha's father, and her stepmother, who haven't seen Alisha in a number of years. The next test will be to survive long enough to be married off to a prince and secure an alliance for her kingdom!

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There are a LOT of unanswered questions as to how Nina ended up in her situation and where we're going from here, but this volume sets all of that up in a sort of intriguing way that makes me want to keep reading, rather than a frustrating, leaving plot holes kind of way. The princess's death is very glossed over, so hopefully that gets "investigated" later and we figure out what really happened to her, and Azure actually deals with his feelings. The story is often told from Nina's flighty point of view, so the lack of details make sense most of the time. There's a lot to like about this story in this first volume, and fans of political intrigue dramas will want to find out how Nina's going to continue with her future betrothed.

Kodansha rates this title for older teens, but volume one is suitable for middle and high school audiences. 

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12

Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Date: October 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781646518609 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Kodansha