I got a free copy of this light novel in exchange for an honest review.
Why did I start reading it? Well, Cross Infinite World has made me discover a love of shoujo and this one is steampunk so I was in the day it was announced.
What is it? Mia's mother was taken away from her by a disease called Demon Claw, locked away in a sanitorium with the rest of the sufferers of this disease. Mia dedicates her life to trying to finding a cure and finally, she enrols at the royal academy where she may be able to achieve her dream but things don't go to plan. There seem to be people moving to try and block her research for some reason. Why is this and is it connected to the mage disease Angel Tears?
What are the characters like? I enjoyed the characters in this one, they are what keep you in the story. Mia is a good character but it was the three boys I was the most interested in throughout the story.
Anyone particularly cool? Felix, Henrik and Mathias were all great. The three of them had a great dynamic. If this was an otome game though I would have been down the Henrik route faster than you can say 'white haired anime boy' because let's face it that's my weakness. Other than white hair Henrik was the brains of the team, stoic, blunt and emotionally reserved. Mathias was team dad, not quite as bright but was much more sensitive to the emotions of the others and Felix was a cute little ray of sunshine. The three had some good bits of friendly banter and I enjoyed finding out their thoughts an feelings on the controversial project they were working on.
What's the bad news? There isn't too much bad news about the book. Mia is a bit of a disappointing character. She started out pretty strong but I felt like as the boys came in she gets outshined. Also, the steampunk element of it feels little awkward at times. The author is a bit hit and miss in explaining some of the steam contraptions and I felt a bit jarred at times when a steampunk thing would come in because at times I forgot about that element of the story.
And the good news? Generally, I really enjoyed it. It was an easy read hitting some interesting and real topics in the world of drug manufacturing and what gets deemed incurable. I've mentioned it above but it was the characters that kept me locked in the story. Their motivations to help Mia in this project are interesting, especially Matias. The mystery in it is good too, but obviously, it's a mystery and no spoilers and such so I can't say much other than tis gd!
Would you recommend? Yes. It's a shoujo with an interesting plot behind it.
You can find Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report in many places. You can find all the places to buy on Cross Inifinite's website
So far of the shoujo I've read from Cross Infinite my favorite has been Akaoni: Contract With A Vampire. Vampires, a slow burn romance and some good plot twists. Read my review here.