The Spring 2024 Light Novel Guide

The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases

What's It About? 

Deemed a “good-for-nothing” for his low level and lack of a god-given Gift, Allen is stripped of his noble status and banished from the Duchy of Westfeldt. But Allen has a secret: he was a great hero in a previous life, and he's thrilled for the chance to finally live the way he pleases! His drama-free existence, however, is soon interrupted by a desperate encounter with his ex-fiancée. As a former hero who still possesses the incredible powers from his past life, Allen can't ignore someone in need—no matter how much he might like to! And so begins the new heroic saga our former hero never wanted!

The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases has a story by Shin Kouduki and art by Chocoan. English translation by bedi and Joshua Douglass-Molloy. Published by ‎J-Novel Club; PublishDrive edition. (March 18, 2024)

Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

This is a book best summed up as “fine.” It isn't terrible, and it does have some clear positives, such as the way it doesn't turn its largely female cast into an insta-harem for Allen. (As of right now only his ex-fiancée Riese is a romantic option, although I could see Elf smith Noel changing that.) Not that there's anything wrong with a harem story, but it would have made this one feel much more cookie-cutter if it had gone that route, and frankly that's not something that yet another isekai fantasy with stats and levels needs. And to keep on qualifying my statements, it's not that the novel uses the levels and stats too much or as a world-building crutch, but the simple fact that they're there.

I would, however, suggest picking up this source light novel over the manga adaptation. (No word on the anime's quality as of this writing.) The manga cuts out a lot, including virtually all of the villains' development. Allen has been branded as a good-for-nothing by his father and younger brother based entirely on his level and (obvious) lack of divine gifts, and so when he turns fifteen, they disown him and boot him out of the duchy he's heir to. Allen, however, has no problem with this – he's on his second life in a different fantasy world, and he's got the skills and powers from his first go-round as a hero…and zero desire to be one again. Does he love that his father annulled his engagement to Princess Riese? No, but that turns out to be a nonissue when he discovers Riese and her knight Beatrice about to be killed by a monster of his father's making. He realizes that perhaps he can't quite leave the hero business behind, although he's going to try and keep it lowkey.

Allen is probably the strongest part of the story. He's kind but not selfless and has no interest in rewards or anything of the sort. He'd just like to keep his father and brother Brett from destroying the kingdom and maybe not starve to death. Riese, Beatrice, and Noel are far from useless, each has distinct personalities and strengths, and the hint that Champion Akira may have been reincarnated from our world isn't beaten into the story, or even all that important. The writing isn't brilliant, but it does a very nice job of avoiding typical light novel pitfalls, such as describing the women starting with breasts or stopping to relay everyone's status screen every three pages. It's a nice balance of elements, and while it certainly isn't mind-blowing, it's also enough of its own thing to merit reading by fantasy fans who are weary of more typical isekai.