The Remarried empress vol 1 by alphatart

Adapted by HereLee, illustrated by SUMPUL
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Navier, Empress of the western kingdom, finds herself in a difficult political position as her husband decides to instate a former slave as his mistress. This puts particular strain on Navier because official mistresses are supposed to be from the noble class. Navier finds herself struggling to keep power in court while losing ladies-in-waiting to Rashta, the mistress. While struggling with how to handle this new addition to her life, Navier starts receiving visits from a cockatiel she nicknames Queen. The bird brings written notes tied to its leg, and they appear to be from a secret admirer who wants to become the empress' lover. The two continue to exchange notes until the admirer is ready to publicly ask the Empress for permission to pursue her. 

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This title is full of political intrigue with Rashta and Navier pitted against each other. Most readers will probably gravitate to Navier's side, but she's not blameless, which makes everything more twisty and complicated. There are also some really lavish illustrations. While at times characters are slightly disproportioned with elongated necks and extremities, all is mostly forgiven in light of some beautiful dresses and rich backgrounds, and of course, characters readers will love or love to hate. This is an adaptation of a popular Webtoon comic and will likely bring along an already established fanbase to the library. 

There are some violent or threateningly violent moments in this volume with promises of further violence in future volumes, so this is probably still best suited to older audiences.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

This review was made possible with a digital reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley.

Publisher: Ize Press (Yen Press)
Publication Date: November 22, 2022
ISBN: 9798400900051 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Manhwa, Romance, Fantasy, Adaptations, ​Ize Press, Ize Press