English Title: The Garden of Words Japanese Title: 言の葉の庭 — “Kotonoha no Niwa” Author: Makoto Shinkai – Japanese Text Illustrator: N/A Translator: TBD Genre: Drama, Romance Original Run: September 2013 English Run: August 2020 Japanese Publisher: Kadokawa English Publisher: Yen On (Yen Press) Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Completed) Volumes in English: 1 (Completed)
Synopsis: From director Makoto Shinkai comes the novelization of his award-winning 2013 film The Garden of Words, a moody drama about two lonely souls who meet in the garden of Shinjuku during rainy season and help each other “learn to walk again” in life.
English Title: Holmes of Kyoto Japanese Title: 京都寺町三条のホームズ — “Holmes at Kyoto Teramachi Sanjo” Author: Mai Mochizuki — 望月麻衣 Illustrator: N/A Translator: Minna Lin Genre: Mystery, Romance, Slice of Life Original Run: April 2015 – ongoing English Run: September 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Futabasha English Publisher: J-Novel Heart (J-Novel Club) Volumes in Japanese: 15 (In Progress) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.
Synopsis: Half a year after moving to Kyoto, high school girl Aoi Mashiro brings her late grandfather’s old scrolls to Kura, an antique store nestled in Kyoto’s Teramachi-Sanjo shopping arcade, for an appraisal. One thing leads to another, and she winds up working there part-time. The manager’s son, Kiyotaka Yagashira—nicknamed the “Holmes of Kyoto”—is uncannily perceptive, and together, they solve strange cases relating to the antiques brought to them by clients.
As part of Anime Expo Lite, the recent online version of the anime convention, Yen Press held a special So I’m A Spider, So What? (蜘蛛ですが、なにか? “Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?”) presentation where they asked the creators of the series fan questions. They’ve now posted the video and a transcript and have been kind enough to allow for it to be featured on our site for our readers. Please enjoy!
Why a spider?
Baba-sensei: I get this question a lot, but the truth is there isn’t much of a reason. A spider just happened to appear in a dream I had the day I started writing this story.
Was having the protagonist be a spider your first choice or were there other animals you were thinking about having the main character be?
Baba-sensei: As I mentioned in the previous question, I just thought “Well, a spider appeared in my dream and all, so I guess that’ll work,” and started writing. I was always planning on a non-human protagonist, but as far as what creature to choose, I decided quite arbitrarily.
Was there any particular inspiration for making the series?
Baba-sensei: When I first encountered web novels, that was a major inspiration that had a huge effect on me. Until then, I always had a narrow view of novels as something that could only be published in book form, so I had no idea that there was such a thing as web novels, which you can write casually and post freely. When I found web novels, I decided to try writing a novel myself.
Why did you choose the title So I’m a Spider, So What? in that tone and phrasing?
Baba-sensei: When I first started writing, I came up with an outline for the story all the way to the end. When I tried to come up with a title based on that, this was the only one that came to mind.
Could you give a high-level overview of how you went about designing the Labyrinth? Did you start from the main character’s perspective and design sections in the order she experienced them? Do you pick biomes (such as lava zones) and then decide what monsters would fit into those zones or do you pick the monsters first and then decide the zones based on that?
Baba-sensei: I decided the areas and monsters in the Great Elroe Labyrinth more or less randomly. So sometimes I decided the area first and then came up with monsters, while other times I thought of the monsters first and made up the area accordingly.
How much do you like spiders?
Baba-sensei: My apologies to spider-lovers all over the world, but… as you may have guessed by the fact that I chose a spider for the silly reason that one just so happened to appear in my dream, the truth is I’m not particularly into spiders or anything…
My spider on the wall isn’t cute like yours. What did i do wrong?
Baba-sensei: How would you like a frog, then? A centipede or a snail would be good too!
Where did you get the names of the dragons from? They’re fun!
Baba-sensei: I choose all of the names of monsters and characters, not just dragons, based on whatever sounds good to me.
How hard is it to write about leveling up and stat increases?
Baba-sensei: Well, it is difficult. In the beginning, the stat numbers were low and there weren’t that many skills, so that was all well and good, but since they’ve grown into huge numbers as the story proceeds, it’s become hard to manage them.
Do you have a document of all the inner workings of the System? It is by far the most consistent and well-put together game system for a LN I’ve ever seen. I’ve been documenting everything on the English wiki and noticed how well structured and consistent it is throughout!
Baba-sensei: Unfortunately, no, I have no such documents. I’m not very good at keeping proper records of things I need to remember, you see.
If you were reincarnated into the world of So I’m a Spider, So What?, who would you want to be reincarnated as?
Baba-sensei: Even if I was reborn, I don’t think I could be anything more than what I already am. No matter who or what I was reborn as, I don’t think that would change.
Kiryu-sensei: If I was reborn as a monster, I’d want to be a snail (Elroe gastruch) or catfish (Elroe guneseven). As a snail, I could probably explore the caverns to my heart’s content without worrying too much about enemies, and I like that the catfish can swim in lava without dying (I’d like to try that once myself).
As for humans or demons… if there’s a job that involves researching nature and monsters, I’d like to reborn as that sort of person. It’d be fun to go around and visit places in the world of Spider that don’t show up in the story, don’t you think? Otherwise, I’d like to become a mage and research magic under Mr. Ronandt. Both the magic itself and observing Mr. Ronandt seem like fun.
How’s the workflow between you two at the time of making the character designs and what’s your opinion about the designs so far?
Baba-sensei: I leave all of the character designing to Kiryu-sensei. I actually try to avoid detailed description of characters’ appearances and stuff, since I prefer to leave those things to the reader’s imagination. I like to see how Kiryu-sensei imagines the characters, too, so I hardly ever interfere with the design process. So each time I see a new character design, I have fun looking at them and thinking “Ah, so that’s how this character looks in Kiryu-sensei’s eyes.”
Kiryu-sensei: First, I read the manuscript I’ve been sent a few times, to get a good idea of the character and monster descriptions as well as the overall flow of the story.
Most monsters are fairly simple to draw—they usually have descriptions of the real-life creatures they resemble (catfish, snail, wolf, etc.) as well as their habitats, actions, appearance and so on, so I just put them on the page as they’re described.
As for humanoid characters, I usually design them like this:
* If there’s a description in the story, I base it on that.
* For facial features, physique, hair, etc., I base it on their personalities (I’ll try and dig in deep. For instance, a character who seems to exercise and eat a lot probably has a solid build, etc.).
* For clothing, accessories, etc., I base it on the character’s personality, social status, homeland, organization, etc. (I’ll go off of certain keywords, such as nations/organizations that have a certain design concept in place).
The most difficult character to design was Kumoko-chan (as a Small Lesser Taratect). At first, I went with the realistic route and made her cute but fairly expressionless, but I received feedback that being too realistic just made the design creepy… so I changed direction to try and make it so that even people who are scared of spiders won’t be put off by the design. By the end, I think I proposed nearly a hundred different variations.
Also, Shun’s initial design was a bit sharper, but the editorial department requested that I make him “a little more average-looking.” That hadn’t even occurred to me…! It’s fairly simple to try to make a design cooler, but it’s difficult to make it less cool. Ultimately, I tried to emphasize his childishness and friendliness more.
When did you start writing it? Did you plan the story in advance? If yes, then how long did it take you to get your final draft ready for the web novel? How old were you when you started writing? Which is your favorite character in the story? Which character do you like the least in the story? Is any of the characters based on your own self? May we know the titles of your favourite books?
Baba-sensei: I first posted Chapter 1 on 5/27/2015, which is the very same day I started writing it. I planned out the general direction of the story in advance, but the truth is that I actually came up with all of those decisions on that same day when I first started writing. I was in my twenties at the time.
I suppose my favorite character is probably the protagonist? There aren’t any characters I hate, though. Since I wrote all of them myself, even the villains, I feel a degree of fondness for all of them.
As for a character who’s based on me, in a way I think all of them are, to a certain extent. Characters are born from within the author, after all.
I have so many favorite books that I just can’t narrow it down!
Kiryu-sensei: I really love all of the characters, so it’s hard to pick just one of them, but… as far as monsters go, the catfish and snails are my favorites (the way Asahiro Kakashi-sensei and Gratinbird-sensei draw the snails is just too cute…). As for human(ish?) characters, maybe White, Ariel, Mr. Oni, the master-apprentice trio of Mr. Ronandt/Julius/Aurel and the puppet spider sisters? But I love everyone else I didn’t mention in their own way, too!
I don’t have a least favorite character. Although I probably wouldn’t really want to be around Potimas… (When I send in illustrations, the name for his layer always ends up “Po.”) If he lived nearby, I feel like he’d always be knocking out the power in the whole neighborhood with his experiments and stuff, and I’d lose my art files, so…
Note: Asahiro Kakashi is the mangaka of the So I’m a Spider, So What? manga adaptation. Gratinbird-sensei is the mangaka of the spinoff manga So I’m a Spider, So What?: Diary of the Four Kumoko Sisters.
Which ruler skill would you have or be closest to having?
Baba-sensei: Oh, definitely sloth. Because if I could, I would love to just laze around all day.
Spider was a webnovel series at first and after the anime announcement, your works will be in three forms of media. How do you feel to have come so far?
Baba-sensei: I feel like I’ve been running non-stop all the way here, so it honestly still doesn’t feel entirely real. But as a result, I can focus on writing without worrying too much about all that, so I think it might actually be for the best.
How involved are you in the anime and what are your current thoughts about it?
Baba-sensei: I supervise the series composition and the script, among other things. It’s very thrilling right now, in many different ways.
If you could do your own Isekai Quartet who would it be with?
Baba-sensei: If we were going to do something like that, I think it would be fun to try gathering the non-human characters from various series.
Did/do you have any difficulties while writing? And how do you deal with those difficulties?
Baba-sensei: Lack of time is always a problem, yes. It’s always a battle against time and the page limit. In my case, I don’t often get stuck on where to go next with the story, but I do frequently write too much and end up going over the page limit. When I do get stuck, my solution is sleep! Get a good rest and reset! But then I lose even more time, which is a problem in itself.
Do you have a specific ending in mind or does it change as you write the story? What’s your favorite videogame? Did you draw inspiration from any particular videogames or other novels when designing the system? Are there any characters you would like to write a side story/spinoff about? The puppet spiders are cute, what gave you the idea to have them become more relevant characters in the LN?
Baba-sensei: Yes, I decided how the story will end before I began writing. However, the ending might differ between the web novel and the print version.
My favorite games are probably the Monster Hunter series. There are a lot of games that influenced the design of the system. I suppose you could say I pulled out elements from a number of different games and added them all together. As far as novels, “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” influenced the system as well.
I try to cram everything I want to write into the main story, so no spinoffs come to mind at the moment. Maybe I’ll think of one if I’m ever unable to fit everything into the main story.
And finally…because the puppet spiders were so cute!
Who’s better at dancing between White and Ariel?
Baba-sensei: If I had to pick one, I’d say Ariel. Why? Because White is such a home body!
Is there any hope of a yuri romance developing in the future, maybe for our dear Kumoko?
Baba-sensei: I’m not planning on going super in-depth with that sort of depiction, but if you’re asking whether it is or isn’t possible, I think it probably is. For one thing, I don’t think White and Ariel’s relationship can be summed up as a mere friendship. That being said, it’s probably not exactly romantic love, either.
Which of the cover illustrations is your favorite?
Baba-sensei: I love all of the covers, but I guess I probably have the strongest emotional attachment to volume 1.
Kiryu-sensei: I’m attached to every one of them, but if I had to choose, I would say my favorites are Volume 1, Volume 5 (I finally got to let Kumoko-chan eat some tasty food) and the cover of “So I’m a Spider, So What? EX,” which is scheduled to come out in Japan this winter.
When I worked on Volume 1 in particular, I remember being very nervous because I never expected to draw a light novel cover without any humans in it, but I was also excited at the new challenge.
Again, thanks to Yen Press for allowing sites such as ours to post the interview for our readers
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How about Treason?)
Written by Toru Toba with illustrations by Falmaro. Released in English by Yen On with a translation by Jessica Lange.
“The moon rose high in the night. Among the guests at the banquet, Geralt was living the high life sandwiched between Wein, the crown prince of Natra, and Lowellmina, the Imperial Princess of the Empire.” – Toru Toba Caught in the verbal cross-fire of two scheming nobles… what fate awaits this unfortunate soul?
(Warning: contains minor Vol. 1 spoilers)
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 2 is the continuation of the fantasy light novel series in which a certain prince regent worms his way through the turmoil of ruling a kingdom with the end goal of selling it off to the highest bidder. Of course, it’s never that easy… and as his plots continue to succeed (in all the wrong ways), we see him fall further and further from the finish line! As before, Toru Toba weaves a great story with comedy, political intrigue, and action-packed battles.
Volume 2
As my review of Vol. 1 hopefully communicated, I dove headfirst into this book with excitement and high hopes. While I was not impressed by the third colour insert (again), the inclusion of a map was a great idea (see below). It let me appreciate how well described the setting was in Vol. 1 as their illustration was perfectly as I had imagined. Additionally, we are subtly told the physical scope, current state of the world, and important players of this volume. It just goes to show how much depth a simple one page drawing can add to the reading experience.
On that note, given the strong world-building in Vol. 1, this volume had a solid foundation to better explore and deepen or to jump from and increase its scope. Vol. 2 does a good job at both; examples include the political turmoil within the Empire and the inner workings of the state that shares Natra’s eastern border. References to the consequences of the previous volume’s events help add a sense of continuity between entries. As a consequence of all the above, the world feels expansive and persistent; a great way to immerse the reader.
Unlike Vol. 1’s focus on wartime efforts, much of Vol. 2’s plot is spent uncovering and defeating schemes developed by other nations’ nobilities. A battle fought with sharp tongues instead of blades. This type of conflict lends itself well to Toru Toba’s strength of weaving plot, humour, and dialogue. The interesting choice of giving us the viewpoints of the other schemers allows for a better exploration of their motivations and thought-processes. At times, the rapid switching of perspective is disorienting but normally done to overlap the reveal of the current step in a plan with introducing the next. This technique aids in condensing the novel and preserving momentum through dialogue- and exposition-heavy sections.
For those worried it’s all talk and looking for more of the first volume’s content, there are a few fight scenes sprinkled in. However, compared to Vol. 1’s war, they are much smaller in scale. This shrinking of size works well as each combatant’s impact is more readily understood and believable. No single character does anything more than is expected of/possible for them. This also allows for more time to detail any particular character’s actions. By contrast, one instance from Vol. 1 has a particular Commander surviving a swarm of Marden’s fodder soldiers. While this is a common trope to showcase a character’s strength, it detracts from the fact the battles were won through strategy and meticulous preparedness (as per the prince’s genius). Without any spoiling of Vol. 2, let me assure you that the awesome-factor has not depreciated because of these changes.
As battles have taken a backseat, this volume uses the time to better develop the entire cast, old and new alike. Further exploration into Wein’s time in the Empire solidifies important relationships and motivations for a handful of characters. Unfortunately still, no explanation is given regarding his genius (whether by experience or talent) or his progressive worldviews which takes away from an otherwise strong foundation for his character. The princess introduced in this volume is also well-developed. Between her dialogues and glimpses into her past, both her base motivations and current character are established. Interestingly, her experience in the Empire feels a little unbelievable given its status as a meritocracy but is a great analog to some experiences found in the real world. Perhaps, it’s unreasonableness is the point (and further hammers in the analogy). For the most of the rest, we do see minor development but we’re still left in the dark for their pasts and motivations. This fortunately doesn’t affect any important parts of this volume and can be left for future entries. Overall, characterization is at a high point here and I hope we see more like this in the future.
Now for the general experience. Like it’s preceding volume, Vol. 2 is well-written in terms of flow and content. My complaints of some weak set-ups due to withheld information are still present but they are less frequent and less jarring. The illustrations’ quality is as before and mostly suffer from the same issue of being inserted at inconsequential times. (I just love the expressions! <3) However, there is an example (pg. 148, not shown below) which is decent visually and has a strong impact by showing the resolve of the characters at a critical moment. This is evidence of improving technique in this department.
To summarize, this book is a nice step above its predecessor. I finished this volume in one sitting, once again. (Don’t blame me! It’s exciting and interesting in all the right ways!) Toru Toba continues to demonstrate strong potential for world-building, plot progression, and dialogue. While a few issues addressed in Vol. 1 are still present (setups, character development, and illustrations), they show clear improvement which gives me hope in continuing with future installments. I’m excitedly waiting for the next volume!
Rating: 4.6 / 5 – Highly Recommended
Recommendation: To readers looking for a good fantasy light novel involving a bit of political intrigue. To readers captivated by beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed princesses.
Hello again! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.
If you’re looking for more incentive to read: Ninym is the perfect mix of serious, playful, smart, and strong. The more entries, the more Ninym!
I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!
Buck Naked in Another World Volume 2 (ebook)(paperback releases October 27, 2020) Amazon — Apple Books — Google Play — Kobo — Bookwalker (eBook) Released July 16, 2020 — ASIN: B08834SWS6
English Title: Black Summoner Japanese Title: 黒の召喚士 — “Kuro no Shoukanshi” Author: Doufu Mayoi — 迷井豆腐 Illustrator: Kurogin (DIGS) — 黒銀 Translator: Taishi Genre: Isekai, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Comedy Original Run: June 2016 – ongoing English Run: September 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Overlap English Publisher: J-Novel Club Volumes in Japanese: 12 (In Progress) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.
Synopsis: Waking up in a strange new place with no memory of his past life, Kelvin learns that he’s bartered away those very memories in exchange for powerful new abilities during his recent transmigration. Heading out into a whole new world as a Summoner — with his first Follower being the very goddess who brought him over! — Kelvin begins his new life as an adventurer, and it isn’t long before he discovers his hidden disposition as a battle junkie. From the Black Knight of the Ancient Castle of Evil Spirits to the demon within the Hidden Cave of the Sage, he revels in the fight against one formidable foe after another. Join this OP adventurer in an exhilarating and epic saga as he and his allies carve their way into the annals of history!
Wataru!!! The Hot-Blooded Teen and His Epic Adventures in a Fantasy World After Stopping a Truck with His Bare Hands!
English Title: Wataru!!! The Hot-Blooded Teen and His Epic Adventures in a Fantasy World After Stopping a Truck with His Bare Hands! Japanese Title: トラック受け止め異世界転生ッ！熱血武闘派高校生ワタルッッ！！ — “Truck Uketome Isekai Tensei! Nekketsu Butouha Koukousei Wataru!!” Author: Simotti — しもっち Illustrator: RELUCY — レルシー Translator: Adam Seacord Genre: Isekai, Fantasy, Action, Comedy Original Run: December 2019 – ongoing English Run: September 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Overlap English Publisher: J-Novel Club Volumes in Japanese: 2 (In Progress) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.
Synopsis: It’s a wonderful day for Wataru Ito, high school student, master martial artist, honorable and humble teenager, and all-around awesome guy. During his daily run to school he happened to get hit by a large truck barreling around a corner. Not that this is the kind of event that would be the end of the likes of Wataru, of course, but when a truck runs into you, you get sent to another world. That’s just the way things are sometimes. Still, Wataru’s not about to take this kind of thing lying down! The first thing he sets out to do is find who’s the toughest hombre in this land and go up against the greatest challenges this new world has to offer! Oh, and the greatest fighter in this place also happens to be the Demon Lord who is kidnapping people all across the kingdom in an attempt to wipe out humanity? Even better! Wataru’s main interest is in facing a tough battle; saving the world in the process is just icing on the cake!
Volume 2 Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released TBA — ASIN: **********
Reviews of Wataru!!! The Hot-Blooded Teen and His Epic Adventures in a Fantasy World After Stopping a Truck with His Bare Hands!
(forthcoming)
Illustrations Sampler
Anime Adaptation
None
Manga Adaptation
None
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With the arrival of not one, but two, babies into Myne’s life, the wheels seem to be turning ever faster for the young girl and her associates. This arc comes to an exciting but heartbreaking climax with this final book, especially once the scheming of the High Bishop is revealed.
The Apprentice Shrine Maiden arc of Ascendance of a Bookworm concludes with the fourth volume; number seven within the series. Author Miya Kazuki and illustrator You Shiina bring us a wonderful final book to this chapter, with J-Novel’s English translation provided as always by Quof. The digital ebook release was published in June 2020, with a print edition planned for later.
The biggest lesson I have learnt when it comes to Ascendance of a Bookworm is to never get too comfortable or attached to the status quo. This is not just in reference to Myne’s tireless efforts to improve the society and circumstances around her (and in extension the book printing process), but also with how drastically and completely Kazuki will upturn her story by the end of each story arc. With the Apprentice Shrine Maiden plot coming to a close, it’s not just the cloistered life of blue and grey robes we’re leaving behind—but the entirety of the life she’s lived til now.
But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.
Following the last book, Myne is doing her utmost to be the best big sister ever to Kamil. As always, the girl never does or feels things in half-measures, and her recent baby mania is no exception. Delia is less impressed though; her upbringing as an orphan making it hard to fathom the idea of siblings. This frames the main theme of this book: family.
After the abandonment of a baby, Dirk, outside of the orphanage, Myne uses the opportunity to appoint Delia his big sister—giving the retainer a chance to build family bonds of her own. For a character like Delia, whose loyalties are split for her own security, the gesture indicates the great trust and kindness Myne has developed for all of her grey robes. The diligence that Delia shows this job also shows the first time the calculating girl has worked purely for someone else’s benefit. This makes it even sadder once things go wrong.
On the book-making side of things, ink experimentation has begun thanks to the help of two new Gutenburgs—a young husband and wife team with the curiosity and facilities to indulge Myne’s requests. With the ink now underway, her dreams are getting closer to reality even if the moving type has been put on hold for now.
With our protagonist happy with her friends and family, excelling with her work, and the book-printing advancing steadily the tense sensation that things are going far too well is immediately justified. Under the duress of the High Bishop, a noble from an neighboring duchy attempts to take Myne for himself, or destroy her trying. She calls for help using a mysterious black charm Sylvester had gifted her, unknowingly hastening her own heartbreak. The High Bishop’s plans are a cruel punishment for overstepping the class boundary—uncaring as he threatens Dirk, Tulli and Fran’s lives without pause.
Thankfully Sylvester does come to the rescue, and with his arrival comes the revelation that he’s not just a quirky, annoying blue robed priest; he’s the current Lord of Ehrenfest.
Along with his protection comes the end of Myne’s life, even if she hadn’t realised that at the time. His involvement in her life now means that the two year reprieve the young girl had before she was forced to be adopted is now gone—she’s now to become Sylvester’s adopted daughter that very same day. Understandably our protagonist is heartbroken; Myne the daughter of Effie and Gunther, sister to Tulli and Kamil, is dead. Given one last farewell to her old life before she’s rechristened Rozemyne, the separation just emphasizes how much more real the dynamic Myne has had with her reincarnation’s family has been, compared to her Urano days.
Literally laying her past self to rest with the death of Myne, it’s almost as if this truly is the real reincarnation. Although Rozemyne will still be able to see her family and friends in certain circumstances, there’s now a impenetrable layer of distance from her ‘old life’. Things have irreparably changed, and with it, the future’s uncertain.
I never stop being impressed by the sheer scope and depth that Ascendance of a Bookworm has. Kazuki never fully rests on the normality she’s written for her protagonist for long, and it’s exceedingly impressive with how easily she jumps into challenging our expectations. For those who may find the earlier books in each arc too slow or methodical to really ‘entertain’, this finale for Apprentice Shrine Maiden should satisfy. As always, I look forward to the next installment—just how is Rozemyne’s life (and plans) going to change from here?
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How about Treason?)
Written by Toru Toba with illustrations by Falmaro. Released in English by Yen On with a translation by Jessica Lange.
People change. But there is one constant: They will always have desires greater than serving the nation. – Wein Salema Arbalest Strong words coming from our titular treasonous prince. What happens when those desires contradict what’s good for the nation, I wonder…
(Warning: contains minor Vol. 1 and 2 spoilers)
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 3 is the next entry of the fantasy light novel series where plots and schemes rule. Whether Wein is setting one into motion or being caught up in one, there is no escaping their prevalence. Perhaps one day our prince can get that ending he’s been dreaming of…! As is standard for the series, Toru Toba continues to integrate comedic elements, plot-laden dialogue, and skirmishes of all scales.
From the previous reviews for Vol. 1and 2, one would rightfully assume that this series is currently in my good books (hah!) and I can’t be completely unbiased. Even so, I will try my best!
Volume 3
To start, we should notice the cover (above) now includes some background art. While not really important for deciding to continue the series, it’s a nice bonus for those who stayed and adds playful energy to my bookshelf (<3). On the topic of art, I was impressed by all the colour inserts at the beginning of the book this time around. The three illustrated scenes focus attention onto new characters and significant changes to the old. Falmaro also continues to stun with their art quality. However, I would like to see more male characters illustrated in the future; Raklum and Hagal especially.
The added map (see below), a technique introduced in Vol. 2, has shifted towards the West and depicts the geographic positions of Natra, Marden, and Cavarin. This solidifies the setting and important locations in which this particular volume’s story occurs. Given the developments in the West and relative mystery of their culture, I was happy to see them getting the spotlight for this entry.
In contrast to Vol. 2’s focus on the East (the Empire), Vol. 3 deals with the consequences of the war with Marden (Vol. 1) and further explores the West’s culture and religion. As before, the strong world-building by Toru Toba continues to deepen our understanding of Natra and broaden our horizons. However, by constantly adding world elements, the reader may feel overwhelmed; either through volume or boredom. Through weaving details into dialogue and hinting at deeper reasons, Toru Toba invites one to pull at the threads and keeps the reader engaged. Additionally, the logical consistency of the world and consequences of previous events improve the realistic feel and give the impression that it persists beyond our given narrative.
Furthermore, the strong sense of agency given to our characters helps us feel invested in their actions, whether they are good or bad. For example, when Natra defeated Marden, we see both the immediate effects, the consequences two volumes later, and how this new situation changes our protagonists’ strategies. Having the characters meaningfully affect the world and vice-versa is another great aspect for this series.
Like its predecessors, political intrigue and large-scale conflict consume significant portions of Vol. 3. I have previously discussed both aspects in my Vol. 2 review, but I will re-iterate some points and comparisons for this entry. Firstly, huge battles are exciting but risk becoming confusing and harder to detail. Vol. 3 sees improvements in clarity and plausibility over the war in Vol. 1 in this regard. Skirmishes of all sizes are present and I’m sure their awesome-factor won’t disappoint. Secondly, political maneuvering requires interesting dialogue and strong setup-reveal coupling to be both interesting and believable. Compared to Vol. 2, Vol. 3’s intrigue is significantly weaker. This is a result of poorly-developed characters as antagonists and application of many overused tropes. This leaves their motivations and dialogue predictable and uninteresting. As I found the politics to be the better aspect of this series, this volume left me quite disappointed overall.
Given the amount of time allocated towards the exciting parts of the plot, character development has been left a little thin. The growing cast then spreads this already sparse resource even further. This volume mostly puts the development of the established cast on hold and instead focuses on those hailing from the West. As previously stated, many of these characters are one-sided and trope-y. Put simply, the effort and time is essentially wasted. Hopefully, this volume only serves as an introduction for key players and we will see more sides of them in future installments.
As for the old cast, one character’s past and motivations are vividly detailed. Since they were a mystery for the past two volumes, it was a pleasant surprise to get a deeper look into how they came to be. Furthermore, Wein’s characterization is better represented in this volume. It was nice to see some strongly held ideals hold him back (if even a little). Though properly exploring Wein still seems to be distant, I hope we get more character moments like that in the future.
Like the volumes before it, Vol. 3 is fairly short but manages to cram loads of excitement, dialogue, and world-building between its covers. Toru Toba continues to show their strength in weaving all three aspects together to form a well-written and solid narrative. The quality of the illustrations continue to impress me and their placement at critical events has significantly improved. As it is, the Toru Toba and Falmaro duo has proven to be quite skilled and I’m sure this series will continue to be in good hands.
Overall, I would rate this book’s experience between Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. There were small improvements in the fighting and illustrations but they came with critical shortcomings. Specifically, weak development of introduced characters and overused tropes undermined the political sections and took away from the total enjoyment. World-building and writing technique continue to be strong parts of the series and I would like to see more Wein character moments in the next entry. So excited, I can’t wait!
Rating: 4.5 / 5 – Highly Recommended
Recommendation: To readers looking for a wild ride filled with factions, skirmishes, and schemes. To readers who prefer dark over light (hair colour, dummy!)
Hello again! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.
If you’re looking for more incentive to read: Please see the colour insert with Zeno. Aren’t they so cool?! I wish I could look that imposing in uniform again.
I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!
Why Shouldn’t a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?! Volume 3 (eBook) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Books — Bookwalker Released July 20, 2020 — ASIN: B08BJC1CY1
WorldEnd: What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us? EX (paperback, ebook) Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — Rightstuf — BAM! — Indigo Releasing July 21, 2020 — ISBN-13: 978-1975308728
Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria Volume 12 (paperback, ebook) Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — Rightstuf — BAM! — Indigo Releasing July 21, 2020 — ISBN-13: 978-1975313272
I’m a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl’s Pet Volume 1 (paperback, ebook) Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — Rightstuf — BAM! — Indigo Releasing July 21, 2020 — ISBN-13: 978-1975332945
Classroom of the Elite Volume 6 (ebook)(paperback releases October 13, 2020) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker (eBook) Released July 23, 2020 — ASIN: B0882ZR4TJ
Mapping: The Trash-Tier Skill That Got Me Into a Top-Tier Party
English Title: Mapping: The Trash-Tier Skill That Got Me Into a Top-Tier Party Japanese Title: 外れスキル【地図化（マッピング）】を手にした少年は最強パーティーとダンジョンに挑む — “Hazure Skill “Mapping” wo Te ni Shita Shounen wa Saikyou Party to Dungeon ni Idomu” Author: Udon Kamono — 鴨野うどん Illustrator: Hitomi Shizuki — 雫綺一生 Translator: Mana Z. Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action Original Run: May 2018 – ongoing English Run: September 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Overlap English Publisher: J-Novel Club Volumes in Japanese: 6 (In Progress) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.
Synopsis: Note Athlon was really looking forward to becoming an adventurer with his best friend (and crush) Miya. That is, until he drew Mapping—a rare skill with practically no purpose. In other words, it’s trash. This kicks off a vicious spiral for Note, who plummets further and further into the depths of self-loathing despair when Miya leaves him. He now spends his days drinking away his earnings, wondering how things might have been different if only he’d pulled a better skill… But little does he know his trash-tier skill is about to score him an invite to a top-tier adventuring party! Note’s now determined to find his way through life—and a dungeon!—in order to make something of himself.
The Sorcerer King of Destruction and the Golem of the Barbarian Queen
English Title: The Sorcerer King of Destruction and the Golem of the Barbarian Queen Japanese Title: 破破滅の魔導王とゴーレムの蛮妃 — “Hametsu no Madou Ou to Golem no Banhi” Author: Northcarolina – 北下路来名 Illustrator: Shiba – 芝 Translator: TBA Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai Original Run: July 2018 – ongoing English Run: August 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Kadokawa English Publisher: Seven Seas Volumes in Japanese: 3 (In Progress) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Synopsis: In a land of swords and sorcery, a ritual is conducted to summon forth the “sorcerer king” who will bring about ruin–but succeeds only in summoning an ordinary human boy from Earth. Stripped of his name and memories but endowed with sudden, enormous magic power, our protagonist has no intention of destroying the world. Fortunately for him, tinkering with his newfound magic results in the creation of a powerful (and beautiful) new partner…and she can keep him safe!
Volume 1 Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker eBook Released August 13, 2020 — ASIN: B08CS82JDG
Volume 2 Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf Releasing TBA — ISBN-13: ###-##########
Volume 3 Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf Releasing TBA — ISBN-13: ###-##########
Reviews of The Sorcerer King of Destruction and the Golem of the Barbarian Queen
(forthcoming)
Anime Adaptation
None
Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — (Japan) Began publication December 2018 – ongoing. (English) Published by Seven Seas. Began publication December 2020 – ongoing. Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
If you liked The Sorcerer King of Destruction and the Golem of the Barbarian Queen, you might also want to try…
Written by Jougi Shiraishi with illustrations by Azure. Released in English by Yen On with a translation by Nicole Wilder.
“‘Then it’s decided. You are now the Ashen Witch, Elaina. Do your best from now on, okay?’ She clapped a hand on my shoulder. I inhaled deeply and responded, ‘I will.'” – Elaina There was a beautiful girl with alluring ashen hair and deep violet eyes. She wore a black robe and signature pointy hat. To any and all, she was a definitely a witch. Who was she? That’s right. It’s Elaina.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 1 is the introductory volume to the fantasy light novel series that takes the perspective of the titular witch as she aimlessly travels about her world (i.e. wanders). It takes the premise and anthology-like story structure from Kino’s Journey and adds the fantastical element of magic. While this may seem like a small change, it allows for a greater variety of scenarios. Unfortunately, I have only seen the anime for Kino’s Journey and will make no further comparisons in this review. Aspects of drama, adventure, and action are woven together by Jougi Shiraishi in a fantastical setting to create a unique experience.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 1
Our protagonist, Elaina, is a young witch (around 18) that wants to see the world, eat good bread, and rest at decent inns. As Azure’s illustrations hopefully depicted, she is pretty, cute, and dresses well. (H- Hey! I’m not jealous or anything!) The entire novel is told from her perspective, meaning her inner monologues play a significant part in the telling and presentation of the stories. Unfortunately, Elaina usually offers less than interesting thoughts/insights and a small fraction of time is spent exploring her past and development. This leaves her as a character with a shallow motivation, lack of deeper characterization, and snarky tone (the last being more of a personal gripe). This particular issue is magnified in chapters where she takes up more of the role of a simple observer rather than an actor. Alongside her shallow insights, there are times where she acts less than admirable. She’s human, so it’s understandable, but it can be disconcerting to only have her perspective at those points. In the chapters where her presence does change the course of the plot and/or magic takes a more prevalent role, her history as a witch adds a lot more flavour. Using her background as a witch in ways to deepen the world and create new perspectives could be a huge draw for the series. Considering Elaina and the fantastical elements are the selling points, I hope to see more of that in the future. Furthermore, as we spend more time with Elaina in successive entries, her motivations and characterization will hopefully be better explored.
Next from Elaina, the most important component of the stories are their settings. As chapters are fairly isolated, Jougi Shiraishi must build up each destination from scratch. This allows for each setting to have unique traits that distinguishes them and the ability to explore a wide range of themes. However, this approach requires a lot of work to make them convincing and realistic. Of course, this load can be lightened by having a strong common base setting. Unfortunately, in Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, the world is one of generic fantasy and many chapters do not spend enough time for their settings to be meaningful. Instances of ‘small countries with no defining characteristics’ both exemplify and exaggerate this shortcoming. The few times where the setting is decently done are those with a connection to Elaina or explores the ‘magic’ aspect of their world. In doing so, we achieve a deeper understanding of our character and elevate magic beyond a simple gimmick to advance plots. As it stands, there is much to be desired and hopefully we will see further improvement in the next volume.
After the protagonist and settings, it is the stories that take shape. There are a total of 14 chapters in this 229 page volume. Each chapter is mostly self-contained; the exception being three connected by an over-arching plot (a side-story, each constituent chapter is relatively short). A few references improve connectivity but they lack the impact required to form a cohesive world. The disconnected nature of the chapters means each set-up, climax, and conclusion must be relatively strong. Unfortunately, for most of them, I was left unsatisfied by the end. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as: (1) the story’s climax/reveal was a little too lacklustre/obvious, (2) me being unable to find a greater meaning to the story (maybe I’m as thick-skulled as rumours say), or (3) the deeper implications of the story were uncomfortable. While (3) is perfectly fine if it’s intentional, (1) and (2) mean a story needs a little more to develop. A particularly poor example for (3) are the frequent allegorical uses of ‘pig’ to refer to larger-set individuals. On the other hand, the ending of a certain chapter is unsettling and fine as is. Similar to our review of the settings, the strongest stories were those that featured Elaina-development and where magic took a larger role in the plot. In those cases, the reward/meaning is the insight provided and large climaxes/reveals are not really required. Overall, each story could be a lot stronger and this could be fixed through longer chapters and better weaving of Elaina/magic-development with those of setting and plot.
Now for the final notes. The writing style is clear and simple. For light reading, this is a plus. Descriptions of the world invoke well-defined physical images of the fantasy setting, and side characters have distinct enough personalities and roles that they don’t feel simply conjured up to progress plots. These factors help develop and fill out the world, slowly but surely. Lastly, the artwork for the book is sparse but beautiful and skillfully placed. I would like to see more and that just attests to their quality. If possible, illustrations containing landscapes or depictions of settings can better enhance the immersion of the fantasy setting.
Overall, the light novel has its charm and is well-suited for easy reading during a commute or similar. Given the disconnected structure, it might be best to read a chapter, take a break, and digest before moving forward. Elaina requires better development and has a potential for insight as a witch that has not been realized. Settings are well-described and full of distinct characters but lack a certain depth that would better suit their stories. Similarly, each story needs to be stronger; whether that is through better climaxes, deeper meanings, or more cohesiveness. Despite these shortcomings, I really want to like this series. Fortunately, the writing style and chapters focused on Elaina are worth the read. I am excitedly waiting and hopeful for the next entry!
Rating: 3.7 / 5 – Somewhat Recommended
Recommended for: Readers looking for a series of somewhat-fantastical short stories through the lens of a witch. Lovers of silver-haired, purple-eyed, magically-inclined girls.
Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.
If you’re looking for a good reason to start/continue Wandering Witch, it’s looking like there’s a lot of growing up for Elaina over the course of the series (physically and otherwise). An interesting change from what I’ve seen in Kino’s Journey.
I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!
Magic User: Reborn in Another World as a Max Level Wizard Volume 2 (paperback)(ebook released earlier) Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — Rightstuf — BAM! — Indigo Releasing July 28, 2020 — ISBN-13: 978-1645054405
English Title: The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent Japanese Title: 聖女の魔力は万能です — “Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou desu” Author: Yuka Tachibana – 橘 由華 Illustrator: Yasuyuki Syuri – 珠梨 やすゆき Translator: TBA Genre: Fantasy, Isekai, Shoujo Original Run: February 2017 – ongoing English Run: November 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Kadokawa Books English Publisher: Seven Seas Volumes in Japanese: 5 (In Progress) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Synopsis: Sei, a 20-year-old office worker, is whisked away to a whole new world. Unfortunately for Sei, the ritual that summoned her—meant to produce a “Saint” who would banish the dark magic—brought two people over instead of one. And everyone prefers the second girl over Sei?! But this is just fine by Sei, who leaves the royal palace to set up shop making potions and cosmetics with her newfound magic. Business is booming, and this might not be such a bad life, after all…as long as her supposed Sainthood doesn’t come back to haunt her.
Volume 1 Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker eBook Released August 27, 2020 — ASIN: B08CSBDRNX
My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!
English Title: My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! Japanese Title: 即死チートが最強すぎて、異世界のやつらがまるで相手にならないんですが。 — “Sokushi Cheat ga Saikyou Sugite, Isekai no Yatsura ga Marude Aite ni Naranai n Desu ga” Author: Tsuyoshi Fujitaka — 藤孝剛志 Illustrator: Chisato Naruse — 成瀬ちさと Translator: Nathan Macklem Genre: Isekai, Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy Original Run: October 2016 – ongoing English Run: September 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Earth Star Novel English Publisher: J-Novel Club Volumes in Japanese: 9 (In Progress) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.
Synopsis: Awaking to absolute chaos and carnage while on a school trip, Yogiri Takatou discovers that everyone in his class has been transported to another world! He had somehow managed to sleep through the entire ordeal himself, missing out on the Gift — powers bestowed upon the others by a mysterious Sage who appeared to transport them. Even worse, he and another classmate were ruthlessly abandoned by their friends, left as bait to distract a nearby dragon. Although not terribly bothered by the thought of dying, he reluctantly decides to protect his lone companion. After all, a lowly Level 1000 monster doesn’t stand a chance against his secret power to invoke Instant Death with a single thought! If he can stay awake long enough to bother using it, that is…
Prepare your wallets because we have ELEVENLight Novel debuts this month. And these are just the titles that are appearing for the first time. This doesn’t include several titles making their debut in print.
It’s a very fantasy-centric month. But there’s a variety of them! We of course have some isekai titles, but there’s also some darker and grittier books. Throw in some kingdom building, business openings, and, uh, sampling of exotic delights and there’s a title for most any fantasy fan. And zombies. There’s a zombie title. So, there’s that for a little variety!
First up for the month is the second offering from new light novel licensor Tentai Books. Unlike their first offering, this one is a fantasy series about a bunch of misfits finding a place to belong.
Leave everything to the strongest cook of them all!
Backstabbed by those he considered friends, Dennis has been exiled from one of the strongest guilds around: The Silver Wings Battalion. He doesn’t think much of it, though, as he was dying to use his Level 99 cooking skills anyway. That’s why he decides to leave the city behind and open up a diner in the countryside.
While pursuing his dream, Dennis meets Atrielle, a girl exiled from her noble household and relegated to slavery until he saves her.
The pair open the diner together, and their first client is… an exiled knight from a different guild? How peculiar. But she is not the only customer; a cocky mage and a drastically overworked yet underpaid sage become regulars as well.
The knight brings trouble to the diner at times, but Dennis’s cooking skills and beloved butcher knives cut through trouble and hunger alike!
Thus begins the legend of Dennis and his diner, the talk of the town!
Welcome to the Diner of the Exiled Volume 1 (ebook) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 7, 2020 — ASIN: B08CW32KMR
Next up is a title from J-Novel Club. This one has a number of elements. It’s an isekai, a kingdom builder, and a gender-bending tale. Can a driven, otaku business woman apply her knowledge from her previous life to save the kingdom where she has been reborn as a young prince?
The life of Ryoko Hayakawa, a hard-core otaku, came to an abrupt end the day before her 35th birthday, before she was reincarnated as a beautiful prince in a fantasy world. However, her dream-like royal life didn’t last long, as she soon uncovered the depths of politics and corruption of her kingdom. To protect the king and his people, Ryoko, reincarnated as Prince Herscherik, resolved to conquer the darkness within his country. The problem was, the prince had no physical strength or magical powers, and even his stunning looks were surpassed by every other member of the royal family. Still, the prince persevered, using the skills he acquired during his previous life—the experience of an office worker, Ryoko’s drive for change, and her otaku brain.
The Epic Tale of the Reincarnated Prince Herscherik Volume 1 (eBook) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 10, 2020 — ASIN: B089T927FH
Now here’s a really popular genre we don’t have many light novels in (actually, I can only think of one other), Zombies! This is from the author of Outbreak Company and Bluesteel Blasphemer. It’s a new series from J-Novel Club.
When hardcore FPS enthusiast Hiroaki Dewa pulls off his VR headset and steps outside for the first time in ages, he realizes that the whole world is in ruins! Soon after, he coincidentally runs into horror junkie Otoha Judo, and the two of them team up to endure the zombie apocalypse. One fateful night, a VR AI known as “Raven” leaves them a cryptic message: “Survive, and humanity may flourish once again.” Follow these ragtag oddballs as they cling to hope in a hopeless world!
Okay. So, I covered this book last month because it was slated for release. Then, about a week before its expected date, it got delayed…again. This title has been delayed more times than I care to think. Especially since it’s a title I’ve been really excited about checking out. Hopefully this month will finally see Yen On getting it delivered!
One big fat lie and a few twisted truths Even in his past life, Cid’s dream wasn’t to become a protagonist or a fi nal boss. He’d rather lie low as a minor character until it’s prime time to reveal he’s a mastermind…or at least, do the next best thing-pretend to be one! And now that he’s been reborn into another world, he’s ready to set the perfect conditions to live out his dreams to the fullest. Armed with his overactive imagination, Cid jokingly recruits members to his organization and makes up a whole backstory about an evil cult that they need to take down. Well, as luck would have it, these imaginary adversaries turn out to be the real deal-and everyone knows the truth but him!
The next release is one of several digital advance releases from Seven Seas. It’s an isekai tale where our main character has no memory of his previous life. In order to make his way safely through this new world, he uses his powerful magic to create and even more powerful ally.
In a land of swords and sorcery, a ritual is conducted to summon forth the “sorcerer king” who will bring about ruin–but succeeds only in summoning an ordinary human boy from Earth. Stripped of his name and memories but endowed with sudden, enormous magic power, our protagonist has no intention of destroying the world. Fortunately for him, tinkering with his newfound magic results in the creation of a powerful (and beautiful) new partner…and she can keep him safe!
The Sorcerer King of Destruction and the Golem of the Barbarian Queen Volume 1 (eBook)(paperback releases November 24, 2020) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 13, 2020 — ASIN: B08CS82JDG
The next release has a lot of old-school light novel/anime fans super excited! This was one of those titles that defined a generation of anime fans back in the nineties. And in the early 2000s we got a few of the volumes of the light novels released from Tokyopop. Well, J-Novel Club has rescued another classic from the abyss!
Beautiful and brilliant sorcerer girls just can’t have nice things, huh? All I wanted to do was swipe a little bit of bandit treasure. Now suddenly I’m being chased around by icky trolls, nasty demons, mean mummies, and brooding golem bad boys. And for what? A tiny little artifact that can bring about the end of the world? Hah! I’ll show them there’s a reason you don’t cross Lina Inverse…
Slayers Volume 1 (eBook)(print to release later in omnibus format) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 17, 2020 — ASIN: B08CF15V7M
Remember the recent anime that was apparently too hot for most Japanese TV stations and even an English anime streaming service? Yup, well, it has a light novel and Yen On is bringing it to English readers. I’m not sure just how hardcore this book is going to be, but it should at least be…interesting ;)
In a world where an endless variety of humanoid species coexist, there’s an equally endless variety of sexy shops for all your nightlife needs! Join Stunk, Zel, and Crim on their erotic adventures as they sample the many deviant delights that the world of succubus joints has to offer!
Demon Lords getting reincarnated seems to be a growing trend in the light novel market. We’ve already had Yen On release The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody and the anime based on The Misfit of Demon Lord Academy is currently airing. So, how about Yen On give us another one?
One of the most powerful demon lords in history has been sealed away for a thousand years. When he finally awakens, he is reincarnated as…a 10-year-old boy?! Now under the care of the girl who released him, the demon lord Leonis must navigate the perils of Excalibur Academy!
This release from J-Novel Club has some pretty grim elements. It features one of the largest number of Japanese teens summoned to another world in a single go that I’ve seen. But that just means more to die horribly! However, our main character has found his one chance at survival…Monsters!
One thousand Japanese high school students are suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world rife with dangerous monsters. Their survival becomes dependent on those who awaken to unexplainable powers. Majima Takahiro, a normal second-year student, does not get any such power. Instead, he joins the majority of students building the homestead. But when a group of empowered students revolt, Takahiro is left wandering the forest on the verge of death. Having lost all faith in humanity, he finds salvation from an unlikely source: monsters!
Another digital-advance release from Seven Seas. This title will probably appeal to fans of I Shall Survive Using Potions. It’s an isekai series where the main character finds herself summoned by accident. So what’s she to do in another world with the ability to create potions and cosmetics? Yup, she’s going into business!
Sei, a 20-year-old office worker, is whisked away to a whole new world. Unfortunately for Sei, the ritual that summoned her—meant to produce a “Saint” who would banish the dark magic—brought two people over instead of one. And everyone prefers the second girl over Sei?! But this is just fine by Sei, who leaves the royal palace to set up shop making potions and cosmetics with her newfound magic. Business is booming, and this might not be such a bad life, after all…as long as her supposed Sainthood doesn’t come back to haunt her.
The Saint’s Magic Ability is OmnipotentVolume 1 (eBook)(paperback releases November 24, 2020) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 27, 2020 — ASIN: B08CSBDRNX
The final title releasing this month (whew, does you wallet hurt yet?) is another digital-advance release from Seven Seas. Unlike the previous two titles, this one is not an isekai. However, it is a fantasy series, and a pretty hardcore one at that. Even their synopsis advertises the series as grim and dark. But it’s also a yuri title!
A dark and bloody light novel series about two women fighting fate and finding love in each other–and don’t miss the manga adaptation, also from Seven Seas!
Flum Apricot was never meant to be a hero. Despite zero stats across the board and a power she can’t even use, she somehow finds herself included in a party of heroes. But Flum’s life hits rock bottom when the party’s renowned sage, Jean Inteige, decides that the useless girl is dead weight, and arranges to have her sold into slavery.
Tossed to monsters to be feasted upon for her master’s entertainment, Flum makes the desperate choice to reach for a cursed weapon…and something new awakens within her. A grimdark tale about one woman’s blood-soaked quest to reclaim her life!
ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! Volume 1 (eBook)(print releases October 27) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 27, 2020 — ASIN: B088P9NGN6
So those are all the light novel series making their debut during the month of August, 2020! Whew, there’s a lot of them! So, which ones are you going to buy right away? And which ones are you interested in picking up, but you’re going to give your wallet a rest beforehand? Let us know in the comments down below.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justus R. Stone has been running a light novel dedicated YouTube channel since 2014. He’s also the founder of the Light Novel Podcast, one of the first English language podcasts dedicated to Light Novels. In addition to his love of Japanese light novels, he is also the author of his own light novel-inspired series, The Bleeding Worlds.
Written by Jougi Shiraishi with illustrations by Azure. Released in English by Yen On with translation by Nicole Wilder.
“I opened the door without hesitation. Because I’m brave and strong.” – Elaina Along the pages of a novel, the girl continued her travels. Her ashen hair fluttered with each page turn. Her violet eyes twinkled with every new tale. The signature hat and robe determined she was a witch. Who was she? That’s right. It’s Elaina.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 2 is the next entry of the fantasy light novel series that follows the Ashen Witch, Elaina, on her seemingly aimless journey. This time around, added to her aforementioned love of bread and travelling is coffee and cats! Their fantastical world, seemingly unlike ours, hides many truths and tales. Her interactions with the many interesting characters uncover these secrets, unsettling and otherwise. Jougi Shiraishi mixes drama, adventure, and action in a fantastical cauldron and brews us a unique potion (in literary form).
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 2
As our review from Vol. 1 did, we will look at the characterization (of old and new), the settings/world-building, and the stories presented in Vol. 2. This is done to better compare the entries and path the overall trajectory of the series.
While Elaina’s characterization has somewhat improved from Vol. 1 to 2, I would like to focus on the growing cast (one-off and recurring). The non-recurring characters can be further split into named and unnamed categories; usually present in longer and shorter chapters, respectively. Named characters are more developed overall given their increased time as the focus. Many, if not all, of them are given enough backstory and personality to make them feel like people in their world rather than characters in a plot. By contrast, the unnamed characters are typically relegated to being side characters for longer chapters or unable to develop at all in their short chapters. This lack of development is fine though, as the short stories focus more on their current flaws and issues instead of the journey. The use of this technique is a good way for Jougi Shiraishi to indicate whose backstories and arcs are important. However, this leaves the unnamed characters harder to remember as we only have the stories to go off of (the number of times I had look at the chapter list for this review was… irrationally high). This can be particularly bad if the story has a weak impact. On the other side of the spectrum are the recurring characters who are usually re-encountered with pleasant surprise. Seeing how they have changed since we last saw them is a treat, akin to catching up with a best friend after a while. In a way, this is a great way to see how they’ve developed, improve story connectivity, and show that the world persists beyond Elaina’s perspective. And, like Elaina, recurring characters will likely develop over time as we get more chapters where they play a role. Hopefully we see even more of these types of stories in the future.
Continuing on, encompassing these characters are their respective settings. The world-building in this volume is significantly stronger than in Vol. 1. The use of more unique destinations (rather than ‘insert-uninteresting-nation-here’) injects a greater sense of wonder to keep the reader engaged. In this volume, we get a snowy city, a desert, and a ghoul town among others; this is a great step in the right direction for the series. Of course, there are still some instances of pretty generic fantasy locales (particularly those where Elaina meets someone between two cities) but the location isn’t the focus then and they’re in very short chapters where detailing would add unnecessary length. Jougi Shiraishi’s clear love for describing scenes shines better now that it’s directed where it matters. In future entries, it would be nice to see settings better mesh with the message they are trying to send (see Chapter 6 for progress towards this).
The largest improvement from Vol. 1 to 2, alongside the world-building, would have to be the quality of the stories. In Vol. 1, many of the stories dragged on (particularly those with the “On-The-Road” title) and then proceeded to have weak endings. Even with the few decent stories, the bad apples soured my overall view of Vol. 1. By contrast, Vol. 2 cuts some stories short giving more time to those that need some to properly develop. The three/four stronger stories present in this volume are decent reads throughout and end with a satisfying conclusion. One longer story in particular, left me in tears with how it resonated with me and demonstrates writing improvement from Jougi Shiraishi. This is not to say that the short stories are all of lower quality. While Vol. 1 felt fairly bland (on my 2nd read through), I genuinely reacted to many of the stories presented here (chuckling, crying, etc.) The range of emotions Jougi Shiraishi evokes alongside more impactful stories plot an upward trajectory for this series.
Alongside the stories, the writing seems to have improved. Particularly, while the long descriptive sections are present, they are not wasted on the stories that don’t need it. This ties well with the greater variety of settings. By describing unique destinations, these sections are filled with a sense of wonder instead of boredom. Secondly, the character illustration insert was a great addition to help solidify imagery paired with physical descriptions (see below). However, to note, they are all female and fairly detailed. (I- I want a character sheet too!) While their designs are quite unique, I would appreciate some effort put towards male characters (where are my bishounen?!) and additional background art (see cover art for example). Lastly, the illustrations among the chapters are visually appealing and well-placed; usually punctuating a big scene in one of the longer chapters. Seeing so much effort put towards these sorts of chapters leaves me wondering if some of the really short ones are needed at all.
Overall, this light novel is a significant step-up from its predecessor. Like Vol. 1, it continues to possess a unique charm. The wide range of stories, from short-and-sweet to dark-and-heavy, present strong evidence for the duality of their world. While this runs the risk of sharp tonal shifts, Jougi Shiraishi maintains a consistent atmosphere for each separate story. As a result, we get a collection of tales that showcase the highs and lows of life in a fantastical world whose hopes and strifes may not be so different from our own. The improved characterization, world-building, and overall story-telling give me confidence that this series will get even better in the future. Hopefully this trajectory continues through to the next volume. I’m so excited, I can’t wait!
Rating: 4.0 / 5 – Moderately Recommended
Recommended for: To readers who were on the fence on continuing after Vol. 1. To lovers of brave and strong girls who happen to be super cute.
Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.
If you’re looking for more incentive to read: please focus on ‘Rosamia’ in the character sheet. Isn’t her knight-design super awesome?!
I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!
Here are all the light novels releasing during the week of August 3rd to 9th, 2020.
For the complete list of upcoming light novel releases, visit the Preorder page.
In Another World With My Smartphone Volume 20 (eBook)(print to release later) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 03, 2020 — ASIN: B088ZB3CRW
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash Volume 15 (eBook)(print to release later) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 04, 2020 — ASIN: B089FMXVHQ
Campfire Cooking in Another World With My Absurd Skill Volume 7 (eBook) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 05, 2020 — ASIN: B088R4N1KS
Welcome to the Diner of the Exiled Volume 1 (ebook) Amazon — iBook — Kobo — Google Play — Bookwalker Released August 7, 2020 — ASIN: B08CW32KMR
English Title: The Sorcerer’s Receptionist Japanese Title: 魔法世界の受付嬢になりたいです — “Mahousekai no Uketsukejou ni Naritaidesu” Author: Mako — まこ Illustrator: Maro — まろ Translator: Roko Mobius Genre: Fantasy, Shoujo, Slice of Life, Romance Original Run: July 2018 – January 2020 English Run: September 2020 – ongoing Japanese Publisher: Arian Rose English Publisher: J-Novel Heart (J-Novel Club) Volumes in Japanese: 3 (Complete) Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.
Synopsis: In a world of everyday magic, Nanalie has always dreamed of becoming a receptionist at the prestigious Sorcerer’s Guild. To achieve her goal, she needs to attend a magic school full of princes and the daughters of nobles. Determined to prove that a commoner can be the number one student, she must compete with Rockmann, the son of a duke. When she graduates, she lands her dream job and they go their separate ways. Nanalie enjoys spending each day alongside her familiar Lala and her kind co-workers, but it seems that fate won’t let her escape her entanglement with Rockmann that easily…
