In the book “The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System,” the main character Shen Yuan dies and is reborn into the same trashy web-novel that he cursed right before he died. Transmigrating into the body of the main villain of the novel, he has to balance changing the story in order to avoid a tragic ending for the villain while still being in character and unraveling the mysteries that were left unwritten.
I liked the book as it was easy to read; being in Shen Yuan’s point of view and inner dialogue made the story funnier than it should have been. Considering the original story he transmigrated into, I love how this book makes fun of the clichés, stereotypes, and tropes that surrounds fantasy harem novels.
Certain parts of the story might lean more into telling instead of showing, but remembering that Shen Yuan has an outsider/reader’s perspective, it makes sense and I didn’t dislike that part as much as I thought. Plenty of likeable characters, and an exciting start for a four-book series.
Three words that describe this book: Funny, rebirth, parody
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re interested in a story set in a fantasy Chinese landscape, with magic and cultivation, and is guided through by the funniest modern-age character as they escape death.
-Daisy
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
