Light Novel and Manga Haul September 2022

About

I’ve been over spending the past couple months. This haul is still bigger than my usual. I’m endeavoring to get better at taking pictures, but I have shaky hands and I’m not good at composing artful arrangements.

I am aware Inuyasha is not a book, but I got him this month, and thought he should be in the picture. He is a PopUp Parade figure, and I highly recommend that brand for quality affordable figures.

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5

I love this series. Unfortunately, I discovered it a bit late, so I’m about twenty volumes behind the current releases. I’m sure I’ll catch up eventually.

Reviews for this series are already in progress, so feel free to check those out. I’ll include a link to volume one for people who’d like more information.

Update: The review for this volume is now available.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 6

After having to wait a couple weeks for volume five, I’m making sure to get these as close to release day as possible. I love this series. It’s currently one of my favorites. This volume came out around September, 13th, and I already have a review done for it. I can’t wait for volume seven. Why does it have to be so far away?

If you’re new the the series, here’s a link to my review for volume one.

Black Cat, Vol. 8 & 9

I absolutely love the Black Cat anime. I saw the anime before I read any of the books. Initially, I borrowed the first few volumes from a friend, but I didn’t get very far at the time. There are about twenty volumes, and I’m currently in the process of obtaining them for myself. Most, if not all, of them have to be purchased used these days. If you’ve also seen the anime, be aware the manga is a bit different.

I can’t exactly recommend this series since I haven’t read it all myself, yet, but if you like gunfighting characters, this might be right up your alley. The main character is a former assassin turned bounty hunter who uses a pistol as his primary weapon.

If you like stories about secret organizations, super powered people, and human science experiments, this might also be for you.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 8 & 9

This is another of which I’ve seen the anime first. I love the anime because it is drastically similar to Yu Yu Hakusho. It has the same story formula, while being unique enough to capture my interest.

I have not read any of the manga, yet. Maybe volume one and two forever ago, but that’s about it. I have no idea how similar it is to the anime. My plan is to binge read all thirty three volumes once I have them. These are also generally only available used.

If you like Yu Yu Hakusho, and want a similar experience, consider checking this series out. You’ll likely have better luck finding it digitally, though.

Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 18

I’ve already read the entirety of Fullmetal Alchemist years ago. I absolutely love it. It’s one of my all time favorites, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I never got to own the whole series before now. This volume completes my collection. Before this, I think I had volumes one through four of the regular editions. I found these gorgeous hardcovers around the time I was considering purchasing more of the series, so I decided to upgrade instead.

I recommend this series to everybody. It’s absolutely amazing.

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1

I already have a review for this. I grabbed it at my local bookstore because the cover caught my eye, and also because I saw the word library in the synopsis. Sometimes I choose books for purely impulsive reasons.

Maids and housekeepers have always been popular in anime and manga. I haven’t tried many with that theme, though, maybe a couple. This is definitely the first I’ve purchased. I saw a couple episodes of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, if you want to count that.

This is a rather wholesome isekai compared to the norm. Check out my review for more information.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1

I have a review for this typed up and ready to go for Wednesday, October, 5th. Because of that, I don’t want to say too much here.

I saw this book popping up in my social media feeds and at the bookstore, so I decided to buy it and give it a try. It released around the same time as The Apothecary Diaries volume 6, and it has a light novel version as well. Normally I would choose the light novel, but the manga was right in front of me at the store. The light novel is also fairly new, so it didn’t really matter which I started with.

Noragami Stray God Omnibus 1-3

I had heard of this series for a while, and only recently, sometime this year, got around to watching it on Hulu. I love the anime. It’s unfortunate it doesn’t have a real ending. It just kind of drops off and doesn’t get any more seasons. Regardless, it was enough to make me want to own the manga.

I did a little research on the manga before getting invested. Apparently, it’s better, but also darker, than the anime. That just further intrigues me.

The timing for this omnibus worked out great. It released the same day as The Apothecary Diaries volume six. I saw it on the shelf at my local book store and had to have it. Omnibus editions will probably make it so much easier to collect and read the series. The only downside is I have to wait for each volume to release.

SpyxFamily, Vol. 3 & 4

I have not started this series, yet. I’ve heard such good things about it, though, so I just went ahead and started buying it. My list of things to read is long, but I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually.

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1 by Saiko Wadori, Mika Kajiyama
Series Name: His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai, Romance 
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-63858-407-0
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

For Takatsuki Sakura, a trip to the library turns into a fantastical journey. She has been swept away to a grandiose castle ruled by a gorgeous demon king. Magic and wonder covers every room. Taking it in, Sakura can hardly breathe…because of all the dust and dirt. A curse has prevented this kingdom from cleaning. Only Sakura and her housekeeping knowhow can scrub away this dark magic and grime!

Personal & Info

Not going to lie, I grabbed this because the cover looks nice and the description mentions the word library.

Housekeepers and maids are always popular in manga. I don’t think I’ve actually tried any series with them in the title, though. I did see a couple episodes of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and I like that. I’ll probably try reading or watching more of that eventually. Anyway, my point is, this is my first real try(maybe specifically with manga) at anything with maid or housekeeper in the title.

Characters

Sakura, is the main character. She’s an enthusiastic neat freak, because her mother traumatized her as a child.

His Majesty the Demon King, I don’t believe we get a name in this volume. We’re going to have to wait and see about that. He’s so pretty.

Milia is a cat demon with shapeshifting abilities. She’s the girl with purple hair on the cover.

Lehaye is the chamberlain to the King. He takes advantage of any profitable opportunity.

Sadeen is His Majesty’s personal guard. He’s mostly good at doing strong man things.

Ruval is a minstrel, and self-invited guest in the palace.

Story & Thoughts

Isekai are a dime a dozen these days, so I’m always a little wary when trying them. This one is surprisingly good. I give it a three and a half out of five. Three and a half usually means above average enough that it stands out to me and I want to continue the series. It seems like it can only get better from here. Several plot hooks are thrown in toward the end of the volume.

The kingdom this takes place in is heavily reliant on magic. Nobody knows how to do anything without it. This is why Sakura is their only hope for cleanliness.

This series is interesting because it has cleaning tutorials thrown in. Legit tutorials, like using salt to clean iron, and the use of baking soda as a cleaning agent. It even talks about alkaline solutions. You could probably legitimately learn some cleaning tips from reading this.

The King is not exactly what one would expect in a standard isekai. He’s literally just living in luxury, and has no plans to cause any chaos. There’s no evil army for a hero to fight against. He’s not even a villain. I think the atypical cast adds to the charm of the story. The whole thing is unexpectedly wholesome.

The afterward describes the series as a rom-com, and I do agree with that. There are funny moments scattered around, and the story doesn’t seem super serious. Nothing blatantly romantic happens in this volume, but there are definitely hints of romance to come. I’m interested in seeing what happens.