The Small-Animallike Lady is Adored by the Ice Prince Volume 1 Review

In recent years, Yen Press have built up a fairly hefty selection of romance manga, many of which fall under the isekai or fantasy genre. In fact, there are so many of these now that it can be difficult to keep up. And that’s why I’m taking a trip back to last year to check out the first volume of The Small-Animallike Lady is Adored by the Ice Prince. Is it worth picking up? Let’s find out.

Our story opens in the Kingdom of Zavanni with Earl Villier’s daughter Liliana being told by third-born Prince William that “she’ll do” as his marriage partner. William has a reputation for being the “Ice Prince”, and although he’s shown no interest in getting engaged, his hand is being forced as the royal family has arranged a ball that all eligible girls between the ages of 14 and 18 are being forced to attend.

Liliana has no interest in an arranged marriage; were she to get married, she wants it to be with someone she’s fallen in love with, like the happy relationship her parents share. And marrying a prince means being put through strict lessons in preparation for becoming a princess. Liliana’s parents and siblings also don’t want to see her married off to William, so they put together a plan to ensure she doesn’t stand out at the ball.

Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, as we see from the opening of the book, Liliana is picked out. Despite standing by a wall and wearing a dress that perfectly blends in with the wallpaper, the fact that she has tried so hard to appear dull is what attracts William to her. The next day, when she and her father visit the royal family in the hopes of breaking off the engagement, Liliana spends some one-on-one time with William, who finds great amusement in watching her snack on the baked goods he’s had set out. Realising that she’s nothing like the other girls hoping to become his wife, William proudly declares his intent to wed Liliana, leaving no room for refusal!

Of course, our heroine is not thrilled by this and continues to hope for a way to break things off, but as she spends more time around William, could it be that she’s beginning to fall for his charms? And could it be that there’s actually a good reason for his reputation as the Ice Prince that’s more than just his disinterest in people?

Given how smitten Liliana and William look on the front cover, I was quite surprised to see their engagement begin in such a fashion. And given William’s cold attitude toward her, I thought I’d have a hard time getting attached to this pairing. I felt for Liliana as she was being pushed into a position she didn’t want, which brought plenty of hardships for her. Thankfully, toward the end of Volume 1, we finally get to see why William acts the way he does, and that makes a big difference in how I perceived his character thereafter. No longer is he a disinterested suitor, but instead a man who has been through his own share of hardships and may have finally found someone he can depend on.

Part of the problem with William is no doubt exacerbated by this being an adaptation of a light novel (which is so far unlicensed). Where in the manga we’re not really getting to know him until the end of Volume 1, in the light novel, I’m sure it’s only a quarter or so of the way through (judging by how these are usually paced). Still, William aside, I think this adaptation gives you a good idea of what the story offers. Liliana is an adorable heroine, brought to life wonderfully by Mugi Sawai’s artwork. The story is quite light and comical, which is reflected well in the art as the cast are all very expressive with some great comedic moments. I was especially fond of the scenes with Liliana’s family, who were all prepared to do anything within their power to prevent her catching William’s eye.

So far, I wouldn’t say this is offering anything particularly original in the genre. But if you’ve been looking for a new, charming fantasy romance, then this is going to tick those boxes. Even if, like me, you don’t care for William at first, it’s hard not to grow fond of the heroine immediately, and that will more than likely carry readers through a few more volumes.

As mentioned, The Small-Animallike Lady is Adored by the Ice Prince Volume 1 comes to the West thanks to Yen Press and has been translated by Emma Schumacker with lettering by Oliva Osanz Gonzalez. The book reads well with no issues; there’s plenty of variety in how the cast talks, and this is effectively depicted by the lettering, which adds a lot of character to their personalities. There are colour pages at the beginning, which are always a welcome extra.

The manga adaptation is complete in Japan with 6 volumes, while the original light novels are ongoing with 9 volumes currently released. Here in English, Yen Press have released Volumes 2 and 3, with #4 currently scheduled for February 2026. I’m hoping that in time we’ll get the light novels as well.

Overall, The Small-Animallike Lady is Adored by the Ice Prince is an entertaining if unoriginal fantasy romance. While William’s development is hindered by being largely at the end of the book, if you’re into this genre, there’s plenty of fun to be had watching over Liliana and her Ice Prince.

Our review copy from Yen Press was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.

© Mugi Sawai / Hisui / Agu Ao / KADOKAWA CORPORATION