I Picked Up a No-Good, Useless Prince--Sometimes the Loser Deserves a Second Chance
Volume 1 Verdict: I Picked Up a No-Good, Useless Prince
Emma is an innkeeper, avid reader, and a bit of a fangirl. More specifically, she's the kind of reader who wonders what happens to all those villains and villainesses after they've been exiled and their stories are supposedly over.
And then one lands on her doorstep.
Kulhi was once the first prince of the kingdom, until his terrible attitude and generally unpleasant demeanor cost him his title, his name, and seemingly everything else along with them. Now he's hiding out at Emma's inn, attempting to conceal who he really is...
Unfortunately for him, Emma figures it out.
Instead of turning him away, though, she becomes invested in rehabilitating the disgraced prince and maybe helping him find some of the confidence he lost along with his old life.
First Impressions
This was funny.
The premise immediately caught my attention because it feels like a story made for people who read villainess stories the same way Emma does. Instead of following the hero/heroine triumphantly moving on with their life, the reader's left to hang out with the losers afterward.
And Kulhi really is a loser... Affectionately.
One of my favorite parts of this first volume was watching Kulhi reckon with the person he used to be. His past behavior isn't just brushed aside so he can immediately be a lovable male lead; he's genuinely haunted by his past. Watching him learn to regret his life's choices, tormented by his own past self, makes his attempt to rebuild himself much more satisfying.
Emma is also an incredible counterpart to Kulhi. She's enthusiastic, confident, and curious about Kul in a way that gives the story a slightly self-aware feeling. She's not just helping some mysterious fallen prince; she's gotten the opportunity to meet one of the characters she's always wondered about as a reader.
The pacing in this story also works really well. Volume 1 establishes the premise, lets the comedy do its thing, and gives Kul enough room to be pathetic without making the story feel standstill. It's a funny and surprisingly unique take on familiar fantasy-romance tropes, and by the end, I was completely sold on seeing where his rehabilitation goes.
Who This Is For
Readers who love confident female leads
Anyone with a soft spot for arrogant and/or pathetic male leads
Readers who enjoy redemption and rehabilitation arcs
Fans of fantasy romance that plays with familiar genre conventions
Who Should Skip This
Readers looking for a particularly serious or dramatic fantasy
Anyone who needs their male lead to be charming, competent, and put-together
Final Verdict
Let him be pathetic. He's learning.
I am 100% taking this book home. I picked up a no-good, useless prince is exactly up my alley: funny, self-aware, well-paced, and built around a premise that feels like it was made for people who spend every waking moment nose-deep in yet another romance series.
Watching Kulhi get haunted by his own terrible decisions is half the fun. Watching Emma decide this disgraced prince is the perfect "fixer-upper" project is the other half.
If the premise intrigues you at all, this is absolutely a must-try.
Also, TokyoPop? You have been nailing it lately!
Available at Senpai & Co.
You can find it in-store with our newer and more experimental picks, or browse it online if you’re looking for something a little outside the norm.
You May Also Like...
If the appeal here is watching a confident female lead encounter a man who's much more pathetic behind-the-scenes than his public image suggests, Tamon's B-Side is an easy next pick. Both have the fun disconnect between who the male lead is "supposed" to be and the disaster the heroine actually gets to know.
A good fit for readers who enjoy stories that understand the conventions of villainess fiction well enough to play around with them. It's particularly suited to anyone who enjoys watching characters deal with the deeply unfortunate consequences of a narrative... and their own questionable decisions.
Another romance that has fun playing with what you expect from its leads, Princess Groom is a great next pick. It starts with all the ingredients for a regal romance, but doesn't necessarily align its characters with the roles you'd expect them to play. Like I Picked Up a No-Good, Useless Prince, part of the charm is watching familiar ideas about princes, romance, and who exactly needs rescuing get turned slightly sideways.
--Curated by The Senpai & Co. Team
Have a series you want us to check out? Let us know in the comments, we're always looking for new reads!
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