Lets start with the storyline. Lena ha is is the captain of her kendo team. She's beautiful, but is a tomboy and is always mistaken for being male. She falls in love with her brother (unknowingly) and such as the tragic tale of incest. Although, later on you'll figure out that this won't even matter. I'd go in depth, but I don't won't to spoil anything for you. So now the boy's mother sends a bunch of thugs after her and her mother's life. Her mother's killed and Lena is on the run etc...now all of the sudden she is transported to another world. Injured on her way there, she is taken care of by a prophet. This prophet tells her a bit about her destiny, and there she goes off on her adventure.
Now lets keep in mind, the whole time she is mistaken for a male. (Not until waaay back is it discovered that she's female). This is what gives her the ability to move around this world as she pleases. See the queen is after her life, but since she is dressed as a male, she is able to fool the people coming after her. Everything is set into place perfectly and there weren't any plot holes so it was well thought out. The only problem here is that there are too many things going on at once. The king is doing something here, the enemies are doing something else, Lena is fighting her way through a whole army...sometimes you forget what's happening in a certain part of the story. There are so many different characters that it can get really confusing. Of course this is also a strength, and helps to add to the story and makes things more realistic and interesting.
Now, if you like comedy then this probably isn't the manhwa you should be reading. There is little to no humor in this. However, the humor it does contain is very funny, and usually involves Lena doing something hilarious. Now see I'm a person who loves romance, and I was expecting it. Although, I should have realized when I saw Lena's personality. Only towards the latter part of the manhwa is there some romance. Even at the end it wasn't like a "and they live happily ever after ending" that I wanted. Oh no no no, it was "and then the evil was obliterated", the end. HOWEVER, there is plenty of action. Lena's always getting into trouble. Whether it's fighting off bandits, or invading a castle, she has done it all and then some. She's been to ninja camps and fought people in underground arenas. She has more then enough chances to prove just how cool she is.
Next comes the art. At first, I really didn't like the art. It just didn't suit my personal taste. I can definitely say that it's unique. Ok I'll be honest, my issue here is their lips. I don't know why, but every time I saw Lena's lips I thought "carp". =.= Cough, ok but other than their lips the art is great. There are some great background scenes, and each person is unique. There were only a few characters that I might have gotten mixed up due to my inability to pay attention. The ones that do look alike are supposed to, and even then they aren't exact copies of each other. Oh and another thing, this mahwa is full of bishounens. I mean really, every character that matters is a good looking male. This says a lot about the mangakas personal taste. Of course all the females are very pretty as well. Yes but, in all honesty, each character has their own personal traits and the costumes are detailed and unique. Now the queen. The queen is probably the most annoying character in this series. She's devishly evil and is always trying to get in Lena's way. Now she's not annoying in a bad way, just in a way that the main evil character should be. You'll find yourself wanting to behead her more and more as the series progresses.
Lena is my favorite. She's my favorite because she's not a weakling. She takes care of herself and keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what she's going to do next. The only problem is that in some cases, regardless of her overwhelming strength, she gets caught in these ridiculous traps and you wonder "wow,&&*^%&*^%*^*&&", how could you get caught like that?"Now then, there's the king. The king who falls in love with a girl from his dreams. Yes, in all honesty, that is the only realistic scenario there could be for a warrior female and a king to fall in love. What I love about him is that he's realistic. He doesn't throw everything away for his selfishness and endures, which is what makes him so unique. Of course, I can't blame him for feeling foolish for falling in love for what he thought at first was a beautiful male mercenary.
Overall I'd have to say that this is a great series. I realize that you may be hesitant considering the marathon of chapters, but you'll never get bored. I know I didn't. It's a great read when you have the time.
