Let me preface this review by saying this novel is rated 4.9/5 stars on Ridi and I wholeheartedly agree with that.

I'm predisposed to loving anything Kang Yeoro pens because they are a master at their craft—from characterization to world-building to prose, there's not a single aspect I find lacking.

I adore their novel The Phantom Thief Steals the Dawn for its witty writing and main character, so I was beyond delighted to discover that Kang Yeoro also wrote Privilege.

... more>> Now, onto the actual review:

This novel is a RIOT. It opens pretty bleakly (penniless, down-on-his-luck young man and all that entails) and proceeds to sucker punch its way into the plot—MC striking a deal with a demon to (minor spoiler that you can guess by looking at the cover)

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become a violin virtuoso after he almost drowns.

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Yes, you read that right. He wants to

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learn to play violin like that demon so bad he sold his soul for it.

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And the reason for that surprised me almost as much as it did the ML.

Now that's all well and good, but how can true romance blossom between a demon and human? I'm not too sure myself, but what I can say with confidence right now is that their chemistry is off the charts and their banter is so fun to read, especially once the flirting starts.

It's an emotions-focused story, according to the translator, but the author isn't slacking on worldbuilding either. I can tell they did their research on the era (desserts, an oddly specific type of discrimination, etc) and the characters feel grounded within the narrative and setting

Every plot development feels like a curveball! Truly, there's never a dull moment with this novel (｡•̀ᴗ-) ✧ <<less