“In a world where crests decide one's fate, Prince Heale is born with Cave King—a crest just as worthless as he is. Deemed a disgrace to his family, he's exiled to a barren, deserted island with not a plant nor soul in sight. Alone, miserable, but determined to survive, he reaches for a pickaxe to expand the cave he intends to make his new home—and discovers the true power of his crest!” (J-Novel Club)
By the full title of “A Cave King's Road to Paradise: Climbing to the Top with My Almighty Mining Skills!”, Hajime Naehara approaches the light novel format with a relaxed flow that focuses on building a community around its protagonist, Heale. The book stays light on conflict, and every element of the story falls into place with predictability to ensure no shocking revelations or twists. Essentially, Heale finds a stone, its properties are explained, and then it is utilized in a scenario that the reader will likely see coming…ad naseum. However, “A Cave Kings Road to Paradise” thrives in this cyclical and predictive structure, roping readers in with its charming cast of outcasts thriving on a desert island.
Heale is given the ideal path from nobody to hero, given a ‘useless' power at birth; his move into a cave triggers his ability and allows him to grow strong quickly. His past in a kingdom where he was belittled because he failed to be born into power expected of nobility, made him empathetic to others' struggles, particularly those of monsters purposely abused for entertainment. The island he inhabits draws in various monsters and eccentric characters, from giant spiders to a naked dwarf. Every character has a place, and their roles all help feed into the community's continued growth. His loving treatment of his subjects and his push for them to better themselves give a wholesomely endearing angle to the book.
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This approach, undeniably, will not be without detractors, as the story is very light on action found in most fantasy light novels–battles often involve random monsters that are swiftly dealt with, and their bodies utilized for resources. Magic is primarily used for practical reasons, as opposed to fighting, with most excitement coming from Heale discovering new rocks as opposed to fighting off the occasional threat. Furthermore, beyond Heale, the cast of characters is simplistic to the point where even a merging love interest doesn't offer much narrative depth. The book is, essentially, about Heale's growth and his building of an island with resources. This simplicity will not appeal to everyone.
The accompanying visuals from Hatori Kyoka are slightly underwhelming outside of the cover artwork. Notably, the artist fails to capture the scale of Heale's adventures and the landscape and community he builds. Otherwise, the digital-only book from J-Novel Club is well presented in the format, and the lackluster illustrations do nothing to dissuade from enjoying the release.
“A Cave King's Road to Paradise” was a pleasant surprise. A book that generally would have bored me with its slow pacing and lack of conflict became a swift weekend read as the desire to see everything fall into place proved to be the perfect compliment that looks for unadulterated joy in the light novel format. With the second and final volume to be released soon, Hajime Naehara has crafted a heartwarming and entertaining read worthy of audiences seeking just that.
