Tag: Light Novel

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8 (LN)

fantasticfictionsblog

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8: Town of Strife I by Isuna Hasekura
Series Name: Spice & Wolf (Light Novel)
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Commerce
Intended Age Group: 15+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-24546-3
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Hearing rumors of a “leg bone of the wolf” being used as an artifact of the Church to showcase its power, Lawrence and Holo head to the site to gather more information. Holo can’t just turn away from what might be a relic of her own kind, after all. Of course, upon arrival, the travelers find that the town is the center of a giant trade dispute! Seems that Col will be getting a lesson in microeconomics!

Personal & Info

Again, it’s been a while since the last volume. I keep intending to circle back around to things, but my reading schedule remains a mess.

Characters

Lawrence and Holo trust each other more in this volume than they seem to in most. Holo is left to her own devices with Col multiple times, with the only stipulation being not to let her drink too much. She even runs an errand for Lawrence on her own, which hardly ever happens. Unfortunately, she’s back to hitting Lawrence on occasion when she is displeased enough. Holo does a poor job of hiding her jealousy and anger during the parts of the story that include Eve.

Col enters the story in volume six. He’s at most thirteen, and smart for his age. His intention is to study church law, but first he needs a better understanding of how the world works. He learns various lessons from Lawrence and Holo every day, even if he doesn’t always understand what they mean. While he is a great help and meticulous in his tasks, Lawrence cannot in good conscience claim him as an apprentice.

Eve Bolan is the merchant woman they met in Lenos. Their dealings with her there were not entirely wholesome. Lawrence can’t help but admire her regardless, because her business skills and connections are top notch. Not to mention her pretty face and ability to perfectly control her facial features when making deals. The dealings with her in Kerube are likely not entirely wholesome, either.

Story & Thoughts

Volume seven is a deviation to side stories completely irrelevant to the main plot, so this one picks up where six leaves off. Lawrence and company arrive in Kerube. Priorities are a little different from the initial plans, though. When leaving Lenos, the idea was to catch up to Eve and get Lawrence’s money back. I think it’s pretty clear that was just a pretense for Lawrence and Holo to extend their time together, because now that they are there, they don’t care about the money. That intention is completely forgotten. Instead, they are looking into rumors about the leg bone of a wolf, potentially from one of Holo’s deceased friends.

As far as the story itself goes, this is part one of a two part series of events. Because of that, this volume is entirely the set up. The usual half to three quarters of the volume that normally sets up the problem or scheme is this entire book. It does make it feel a little slow, but the set up is interesting enough.

I have some issues. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been a while since I read something from the series, or if my brain was just tired. It could also be actual editing mistakes that cut necessary sentences from the story. I don’t really know.

What I do know is I had more of an issue than usual telling who was saying what, and there were unclear details that kept throwing me off. An example of the type of detail I’m referring to would be, at one point Lawrence orders himself an ale and has a conversation with Eve. Eve never orders her own drink, nor does the text say anywhere at all that she drinks from Lawrence’s cup. She thanks him for the ale after the conversation, adding to my confusion, and later it clearly states she shared his cup.

There are many parts of the book that caused me this kind of confusion. If I’m mistaken and the text is correct and I just missed something, I’m sorry, but I flipped back several times to check things and could not find mention of the wording that would have said so. To me, it felt as if the text was saying what happened after the fact and expecting nobody to notice.

Some of the writing in this volume is also redundant. In the first several pages, it’s like they can’t stop telling you about the fact Eve sunk a ship in the river. It’s so frequent it’s actually annoying. The other redundant things are smaller, so I don’t entirely remember which details they were stating.

The copper coins explanation didn’t make much sense to me. They didn’t explain that in much detail, because supposedly it’s super simple, but I don’t get it. I read the explanation multiple times and it didn’t help.

Overall, the book is fine. It’s just much slower, because it’s part one of a two parter. The issues I experienced dragged the rating down a bit. I admit I was tired when I read the majority of it, but I really don’t think I missed anything. I’ve read other volumes of this series while tired and didn’t have these kinds of problems.

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, Vol. 1

fantasticfictionsblog

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Series Name: The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong
Genres: Danmei, Fantasy, Historical, Transmigration
Intended Age Group: 17+
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64827-921-8
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Half-demon Luo Binghe rose from humble beginnings and a tortured past to become unrivaled in strength and beauty. With his dominion over both the Human and Demon Realms and his hundreds-strong harem, he is truly the most powerful protagonist…in a trashy web novel series!

At least, that’s what Shen Yuan believes as he finishes reading the final chapter in Proud Immortal Demon Way. But when a bout of rage leads to his sudden death, Shen Yuan is reborn into the world of the novel in the body of Shen Qingqiu – the beautiful but cruel teacher of a young Luo Binghe. While Shen Qingqiu may have the incredible power of a cultivator, he is destined to be horrifically punished for crimes against the protagonist.

The new Shen Qingqiu now has only one course of action: get into Luo Binghe’s good graces before the young man’s rise to power or suffer the awful fate of a true scum villain!

Personal & Info

For those unfamiliar, danmei is the Chinese equivalent to boys love, and transmigration is the Chinese equivalent to isekai.

Danmei has been exploding in popularity for a while. I’m a long time fan of BL, so I figured it’s about time I got around to trying some danmei. This book is my way of metaphorically dipping my toes in to find out if I like it.

The story focuses significantly around the discipline of cultivation, which involves the use of qi, and also monsters and demons.

The book is actually shorter than it looks. Chapter one starts on page nine, and the last page is 291. The last sixty-ish pages are actually extra content intended to help the reader. There are a character and name guide, a glossary, and a gallery. I highly recommend making use of the character and name guide and the glossary if you are not familiar with danmei or Chinese literature already. They were an immense help to me for understanding tropes, name pronunciations, and additional details.

Characters

There is a wide cast of characters, so I’m just going to list the ones I feel are the most important. Some important ones, I might choose not to list. I don’t want to spoil anything for the characters who might become important later on.

Luo Binghe is the protagonist of the web novel series Proud Immortal Demon Way. As the protagonist, he’s obviously powerful and good looking, but he’s also noble and kind. Since this is the first volume, he’s obviously not at his full power.

Shen Yuan and Shen Qingqiu are for all intents and purposes the same person. Shen Yuan hates the content of the web novel and is transmigrated into Shen Qingqiu. We never actually see the original. His original behavior comes up as a subject regularly, but as soon as the book starts, Shen Qingqiu is essentially possessed by Shen Yuan. He is supposed to be the villain, but in this case, he’s the main character. The main character and the protagonist are not the same thing in this series, because the protagonist is specifically the star of the web novel, not the perspective we’re following.

Yue Qingyuan is Shen Qingqiu’s superior who often gives guidance, advice, and quests. It’s not going too far to say Shen Qinguiu benefits from his favoritism.

Ming Fan is Shen Qingqiu’s right hand disciple. He acts as an assistant for many mundane tasks that need doing. He’s also very much a bully, and takes pleasure in abusing the protagonist, Luo Binghe.

Story & Thoughts

The book is a little difficult to start, but not because of anything to do with the story. I’m not used to reading any kind of Chinese literature, so the issue is mostly the names. I like to be sure I’m mentally pronouncing things correctly, or at least as close as feasibly possible. For the first several pages, I found myself referencing the back of the book frequently. Once the story gets going, it’s not much of an issue, anymore.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but I definitely like this book more than I thought I would. It’s not fast. The romance seems to be a slow burn. The characters don’t even realize it’s happening. They just occasionally wonder why they feel a certain way, and wonder if they have a right to feel that way. I don’t think the two characters ever realize what kinds of feelings they are developing for each other, at least not in this volume. This slow burn ignorant approach leads to some down right adorable moments, and I absolutely love that.

The story itself is intriguing. It’s generally pretty different than Japanese isekai. There’s an automated system that is there to help guide Shen, and make sure the core points of the novel still happen, despite his changes to the story. The system definitely does not operate fairly. The points it threatens to take away are ridiculously large amounts compared to those it rewards, and it often makes up new types of point values.

It’s actually difficult for me to find things to say for a review that don’t spoil any content in the book. I liked it a lot, but for some reason have a hard time explaining things from it. I can’t say it was amazing, but I do love this book. It’s good, and I definitely recommend it if it falls into the genre categories that interest you.

I do not recommend setting the book down at the end of chapter two. It’s too perfect of a, “story over,” spot. I put it down at that point and it took me a whole week to be able to pick it back up. It wouldn’t be a happy end to stop there, but it feels like it could be an end. Just don’t stop there if you have a hard time picking books back up from that kind of thing.

Light Novel and Manga Haul July 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

I was expecting to barely have enough books to even do a manga haul this month. My self control obviously needs work.

The books in this haul are a mix of Amazon orders, new and used, and purchases from my local store.

Comics

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift

This is the fourth omnibus in the recommended reading order for the Avatar comics, at least as far as I know. I think this is the library edition. For most of the Avatar comics, the paperbacks seem to be the individuals, and the hardcovers tend to be the omnibus library editions.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of The Rift that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Light Novels

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, Vol 1

This book is a danmei, which is a genre that is exploding in popularity right now. Danmei is essentially the Chinese equivalent to Boys Love. I generally love stories with BL couplings, so I got this book to try some danmei.

I specifically chose this one to try, because it’s rather short as a series. It only has four volumes in total. The series is a trilogy, with a fourth book that covers content for both past and future. So, if I like the series, it won’t be a huge commitment to finish it.

What is it?

From what I can tell, it’s a historical isekai BL romance.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8

The Apothecary Diaries is a fantastic series and I highly recommend it. The review for this volume is already available. Volume nine will release on August, 15th.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 18, 19, & 22

Flame of Recca is out of print, but I started my collection in middle school, so I want to finish it. The remaining volumes are higher in price, so they likely will not be seen in my hauls very frequently. I also will be purchasing them out of order from here on out, because it’ll be entirely based on what I find at reasonable prices based on availability.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5

I love this series. I’m a little behind on the English releases, but I’m trying to catch up. My goal is to catch up to the current releases before I watch the anime. There’s still time before that airs.

At the time of this post, reviews for the first four volumes are available. Five should be up in the near future.

What is it?

A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.

Inuyasha VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 5

I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often. Reviews for this series will likely wait until I feel like doing a re-read, which will probably be a good while.

Recently, I’ve also started getting the sequel series, Yashahime. I haven’t read any of it, yet, but reviews for it will be up eventually.

What is it?

A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 6 (volumes 16-18)

I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. This series is one of the manga I’m looking forward to reading the most. I just haven’t found the right time to start it.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 15

This is the final volume of the Tail of the Moon series. It completes my collection, so after all these years, I can finally finish reading it. This series will be on the short list for manga I will be reading.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

Kingdom Hearts (LN)

fantasticfictionsblog

Kingdom Hearts by Tomoco Kanemaki, Tetsuya Nomura, Shiro Amano
Series Name: Kingdom Hearts (Light Novel)
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: 8+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-0-316-26019-0
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks RightStuf

Description from the Book

On the Destiny Islands, three children – Sora, Riku, and Kairi – live out their peaceful, carefree lives while yearning for whatever lies beyond the great ocean. But one night, an unexpected disaster takes place, and the three are torn from each other and their island home. Meanwhile, at Disney Castle, Donald Duck and the other castle residents are in an uproar upon discovering King Mickey has suddenly gone missing. When fate brings them together, Sora, Donald, and Goofy set out on a grand Disney adventure to find their friends!

Personal & Info

This is a light novel adaptation of the popular game Kingdom Hearts. Adaptations are never one hundred percent accurate, so don’t expect this book to be. I’m always curious to read adaptations for things I like, because I want to see what’s different.

I’m not going to lie, it took me forever to get through this book, because I just was not in the mood for it. It was a slog to get halfway through, and then I pushed myself to finish the last hundred pages in one day.

Six color pictures of random events throughout the story are at the front of the book. All images in the book are illustrated by the same artist as the manga adaptation. Some of the black and white pictures look a little strange to me, like the one on page 62, because it looks like they tried to layer part of the picture, and it just looks weird where the parts overlap.

There are a few pages of character information after the table of contents. They cover some of the most significant characters, but they leave many out. Strangely, Donald, Goofy, Sora, Kairi, and Riku all have two entries. Based on the descriptions and art chosen, I get the feeling this novel is intended for people already familiar with the game.

Characters

Sora is the main character. He is exclusive to the Kingdom Hearts universe. Well, except for his Smash appearance. He’s basically your average joe with a heart of gold.

Donald and Goofy are popular Disney characters associated with Mickey Mouse. All three of them have been around for several decades, and they’re kind of the face of Disney, so it makes sense they would be main characters for this kind of story.

Mickey Mouse is a king in this universe, because he is the ever constant mascot of Disney. Donald is his court wizard, and Goofy is his head knight.

Riku and Kairi are also completely exclusive to the Kingdom Hearts universe. Riku is the cool edge lord loner type. Part of his relationship with Sora is Riku is always better than him at everything, but that changes a bit as the story progresses. Kairi is essentially the girl next door Sora and Riku are crushing on.

Various Disney and Final Fantasy characters make appearances throughout the series. The number of Final Fantasy characters is small, but the Disney quantity is high since almost all of the worlds are from Disney movies.

Story & Thoughts

Honestly, I think this book could have been at least twice as thick, or two or more volumes. The book is for ages eight and up, but I’ve read plenty of books for the same age group that were written much better than this.

My biggest complaint is there is not enough detail, for literally anything. If you don’t already know everything from the game, you likely won’t visualize anything correctly. Every time they describe one of the bosses, it doesn’t sound accurate. Whenever they describe a Heartless, it’s left mostly left to your imagination, even though there are canonical appearances for them. There is no picture index of Heartless to make up for the poor descriptions.

If you don’t already know all the appearing characters, you likely wouldn’t picture them accurately either. Their descriptions are overly simple, and the pacing makes them feel flat, because they aren’t around long enough to get to know them. Donald’s description doesn’t even tell you he is a duck. You can tell by the cover, and the fact he quacks, but that’s about it. There is zero mention of his unique way of talking, either. Everyone knows he has a weird voice, except those who grew up without any Disney television in their lives.

I really think that because this is a novelization of the game, it should go above and beyond in quality to try reaching audiences who don’t play the game or watch any Disney.

There are a significant amount of differences in this adaptation. Some of them are good changes to improve the flow of the story, like conversations on the gummi ship, because those feel like they add a little more depth as the group tries to figure things out. But, there are bad changes, too, and plenty that seem pointless.

Four whole levels are cut from the story. Olympus Colosseum, Atlantica, Halloween Town, and 100 Acre Wood. That means Ursula, Hades, and Oogie Boogie are cut from the group of villains. Even the manga adaptation doesn’t cut that many levels.

Some events, like boss fights and encounters, are seemingly pointlessly moved to other areas, basically in a different room than they are originally in. There are also boss fights cut completely, so some levels only have one. The entire book lacks summons. There are a total of none, so I’m curious how that will affect if Simba knows Sora in KH2.

It also seems like there are some plot threads that are quickly dropped, as if the game function of those plot points are inconvenient for the novel.

I know it probably seems like I’m ragging on the novel, but it’s actually not that bad. I like it well enough, and it does do some things well. Some of the dialogue looks like it is literally taken word for word, or at least as closely as possible, from the game. At a quick glance, the few pages of Ansem’s report that they read also look like they might be word for word, so points for accuracy on that.

The chapter, Fragments, on page 227, is a nice addition. It’s a scene where Riku finds himself in the realm behind the door, before Sora even finds the door. I don’t remember if that part is in the game, but I don’t think it is. Assuming it isn’t, I think that part is a nice little addition. There are a ton of little things, like transition parts, or what someone is thinking, that make improvements to the flow of the story.

There’s also progression to represent the level up growth of the game. It’s not specifically tracked, but the story includes parts where each of them learn abilities that you would equip in the game, or get boosts in power from something. The most obvious is Sora learning various new ways to use the keyblade, like throwing it.

I can’t help but laugh at some of the things they leave the same as the game. Anyone familiar with Kingdom Hearts knows the jokes about Donald never healing Sora. That’s still a running gag in this book. Donald never heals Sora. I’m not sure if he even knows a cure spell. Every heal in the game involves Goofy giving someone a potion.

If I had to choose which adaptation to read, between the novel or the manga, I’m actually not sure which I would choose. They’re both good in different ways, and they both cut things. Regarding just the light novel, though, I don’t recommend it for people unfamiliar with Kingdom Hearts. I think I feel the same as I did with the manga, where I think it’s a good book to use to scratch that itch if you’re in the mood for Kingdom Hearts but don’t want to play the game. As far as adaptations go, I say this one is mediocre, but not in a bad way.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 7 (LN)

fantasticfictionsblog

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 7: Side Colors by Isuna Hasekura
Series Name: Spice & Wolf (Light Novel)
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Commerce
Intended Age Group: 15+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-22912-8
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

In a break from Lawrence and Holo’s ongoing adventures, author Isuna Hasekura presents Side Colors, a series of short vignettes focusing on the series’ favorite characters.

Personal & Info

There are three short stories in this volume, so I will be breaking them up into their own sections for the review. I will post the overall rating in the usual place above, but the individual story ratings will go in this section.

The Boy and the Girl and the White Flowers: 2/5

The Red of the Apple, The Blue of the Sky: 3/5

Wolf and Amber Melancholy: 4/5

Characters

Holo is in all three stories.

Lawrence is in the second and third short stories.

Aryes Belange, which I assume is pronounced as Aries, is a religious girl with little to no knowledge of the world outside her house. I mean this to the extreme. She doesn’t even know flowers normally grow from the ground. Aryes is in the first and longest story, The Boy and the Girl and the White Flowers.

Klass is a boy younger than Aryes. He worked in the estate that housed Aryes. Klass is also in The Boy and the Girl and the White Flowers.

Norah is the shepherdess from volume two. She is in the third story, Wolf and Amber Melancholy.

Story & Thoughts

The Boy and the Girl and the White Flowers

Klass and Aryes, two children of varying ages, were living in an estate out in the middle of nowhere. Klass worked there and slept in the barn. Aryes was basically sequestered away in a building all by herself. Her situation so unusual to the staff that she was always the gossip of the place.

The lord owning the estate supposedly died, and some relative, I think his brother, came to stake his claim of the property. He evicted anyone he considered unnecessary, including Klass and Aryes. Hardly any traveling supplies were given, so the evicted were essentially doomed to struggle to survive or die on the road.

The story starts with Klass and Aryes, maybe two days travel from the estate, and proceeds to cover a portion of their journey. Of course, being part of Spice & Wolf, they end up meeting Holo at some point.

I don’t like this story much. To me, it just comes off as Holo being mean to a young boy for one hundred and twenty pages. She spends the entire story teasing, bullying, and pranking Klass for her own amusement. Her prank went so overboard it could be considered cruel.

We only get to see Klass’ perspective, though, so we don’t get an accurate idea of how Holo treats Aryes. It seems like she’s nothing but nice to her, but with how ignorant Aryes is of everything, we can’t possibly know what kinds of things Holo tells her. Especially since the two of them are always speaking where and when Klass can’t hear them.

The story is definitely not flattering for Holo. There are a few instances in the series where I feel she has been particularly cruel, and this is definitely one of them. Sometimes I just really don’t like her at all.

The Red of the Apple, The Blue of the Sky

This story seems to take place after volume one, but before volume two. Lawrence and Holo appear to still be in Pazzio, and for some reason Lawrence wants them to burn through as much money as possible. I don’t know why, and I didn’t see an explanation for it anywhere.

The plot primarily focuses on that, but at the same time, they are buying clothes for Holo. Lawrence explains a relations tactic regarding buying and selling clothing. The story is only about thirty pages, so it’s short, but I like it much better than the first one. Holo is not nearly as mean in this one as she is in the first one.

Wolf and Amber Melancholy

This is a short story from Holo’s perspective. It takes place after the events of volume two. Holo takes ill, and Lawrence must take care of her. While she is sick, Holo struggles with possessive thoughts regarding Lawrence due to jealousy of his friendly relationship with the shepherdess Norah.

I like this story. It’s interesting to see how things work on Holo’s sides of the conversations. She might not seem so mean if we saw her side more often. It is unfortunate that a lot of her side is hiding her feelings and manipulation, but it explains a lot about how she acts and why.

Overall

Generally speaking, I like this volume. There are things I like, and things I don’t. I think the first story makes Holo look bad, but the third story significantly makes up for that in my opinion. The Red of the Apple, The Blue of the Sky is okay, but I don’t see anything special about it. Wolf and Amber Melancholy is my favorite of the three. I think it gives significant insight into how Holo thinks, since it’s the only part in the series so far that covers anything in her perspective.

Bofuri, Vol. 1 (LN)

fantasticfictionsblog

Bofuri, Vol. 1 by Yuumikan, Koin
Series Name: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. (Light Novel)
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life, Video Games
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9753-2273-1
Rating: 4.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Though she doesn’t play many MMOs, Maple has either a natural talent or impossibly good luck, because by pouring every last stat point she has into Vitality, she’s created a character who can’t be hurt! Whether it’s physical attacks or magic or status effects, nothing poses a real threat. In no time at all, news spreads across the server about the adorable terror who can’t be defeated. While Maple may just be having fun, her broken build is sure to attract lots of unexpected attention…

Personal & Info

This is a title I’ve seen around frequently, but when it comes to isekai or video game theme series, I like to be careful with my selections. Those genres are so popular right now, it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth trying. I didn’t decide to try the series until a friend recommended it, and I didn’t get around to having a copy until that same friend sent me one for my birthday.

I’m trying to expand my light novel collection, so for things that have them, I choose to get the light novel versions. The manga for this is probably amusing. The light novel is funny enough, but seeing more visuals must be hilarious. I’ll probably get the manga eventually to have both.

For others getting the light novels, the cover style of the book is the papery kind, not the glossy kind. Because of this, I think it’s a little more flimsy. Mine has a small tear on it just from picking it up and setting it down a few times. I don’t recall doing anything rough enough to cause that, so you might want to be careful with how you handle it. Or maybe I was just unlucky, who knows.

Characters

Kaede Honjou, player name Maple, is the main character. She does not know how to play video games, which leads to her putting all points into her defense.

Risa Shiromine, player name Sally, is Maple’s friend. She introduces her to the game, but she doesn’t join her until about halfway through the book, because her parents are making her study to get her grades up.

Story & Thoughts

I wasn’t sure if this was an isekai or not going into it. It is not. This series is about a VR game with the title New World Online, and Kaede’s time playing it.

The chapters are short, and the story is funny with a fast pace. The prologue and chapter one were all I needed to get hooked. Now I have to add this series to the list of many that I need to buy.

I love how much creativity the game allows. I wish games really had this many realistic options. It’s like anything you can think of can be applied to the game mechanics, even if it’s a little ridiculous. Maple’s gameplay experience proves this time and time again.

The gaming community for NWO is so wholesome. Everyone in the forum wants to watch over Maple, because regardless of her build, she’s still new to the game. That is so much better than most of the gaming communities I hear about.

Some of the conversations are not entirely clear about who is speaking, so you have to pay attention to the context.

There’s a bonus chapter at the end. It mostly covers some sightseeing and things Maple does to get materials for her white shield.

If I have to complain about something, I think it’s how much time the grinding at the end takes. By then, they are both just trying to obtain skills and items while time is elapsing until the second event. That felt a little draggy to me.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 6 (LN)

fantasticfictionsblog

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 6 by Isuna Hasekura
Series Name: Spice & Wolf (Light Novel)
Genres: Adventure, Commerce, Fantasy, Romance
Intended Age Group: 15+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-7595-3111-6
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

As Holo and Lawrence begin the final leg of their journey, Lawrence decides to accompany Holo to her ancient home of Yoitsu, if only to forestall their parting just a bit longer. Boarding a ship from the port of Lenos (much to the chagrin of the wise wolf, who is none too fond of water!), the pair’s fate becomes entangled with that of a boy named Col, whose tale of his circumstances – combined with the gossip of the sailors – leads to a shocking revelation about Holo’s homeland!

Personal & Info

It took a couple months to circle back around to this. My reading schedule is still a mess. I’ve been busy over the holidays, and my birthday followed shorty after, so I’ve been reading a lot of manga to make things easier lately. If I’d known this picks up immediately after the previous volume, I probably would have tried to read it sooner.

Characters

This book picks up almost immediately after the events of volume five. Holo and Lawrence experience a lot of awkwardness as their future of traveling together has an unknown timer placed on it. In the previous book they promise to part with smiles, so for a significant portion of this one, it seems like they are uncomfortable expressing happiness, until they decide it’s better to enjoy what little time they might have left.

Col is a twelve or thirteen year old boy who has fallen on bad times. He is smart for his age, and Holo seems to want Lawrence to take him on as an apprentice. If I’m being honest, his entry in this volume is part of why I’m rating it a four.

I got excited when Col appeared in the story. There is a spin-off sequel series called Wolf & Parchment. I recognized his name from the description there, as well as his hair color from the cover of that and the preview pages of this book. I’m curious to see where things go with this character.

Story & Thoughts

The description is not entirely accurate. They are not yet going to Yoitsu. Instead, they are pursuing their double crossing business partner. Lawrence doesn’t seem invested in it, but Holo seems to insist, so he goes along with it so they won’t have to part ways so soon. They board a boat for this purpose, to follow Eve down the river. At no point in this volume does actual travel to Yoitsu occur.

There is no business opportunity in this volume. However, it seems something for later might be in the works. Lawrence puzzles over some documents regarding a trading company that lines up with their destination of Kerube. I imagine whatever answer comes from this will apply once they are in the area to do something about it.

Lawrence is generally made to be the fool multiple times. He and Holo have a spat and everyone seems to know what the issue is except him. Same goes for figuring out the puzzle with the documents. While we are not told the answer, it is obvious both Holo and Col know, but neither will tell Lawrence.

As Holo and Lawrence meet a new traveling companion, we get to see a new side of Holo. We don’t usually get to see her sweet and caring side, but it shows often here. She seems to get more compassionate and maternal around Col, and at some point makes it known she likes children.

The theme of Holo potentially leaving is getting old. It’s in almost every book, and has become an ongoing will she or won’t she aspect of the story. She made her reasons why clear, but she’s obviously torn about her own convictions in the matter.

Light Novel and Manga Haul February 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

I didn’t expect to have enough books for any kind of haul this month. I neglected to consider my birthday. This haul contains the usual purchases for myself, as well as birthday gifts.

Light Novels

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 1

This is a gift from a friend. That same friend recommended this series to me initially, which led to me putting it on my wishlist. I’m aware the anime is available, but I haven’t seen it, yet.

What is it?

A funny and interesting VRMMORPG themed series.

Manga

Flame of Recca, Vol. 13

Thirty more volumes to go for this series. It’s going to be a while. This one was an Amazon order as a pre-owned copy since it’s out of print.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 3

This is a fantastic series. It does a great job portraying how elves think compared to the average person. I’m behind on volume releases, but I’ll catch up eventually. I highly recommend this if you enjoy fantasy or D&D type settings. Thankfully my local bookstore carries these, so I can get them quickly when I want them.

The reviews for volumes one and two are already available. Volume three will be up soon.

What is it?

A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 1-4

I originally found this anime on Hulu, and loved it. The anime does not have a complete ending, so of course, I added the manga to my wishlist. These volumes were gifts from two people.

What is it?

A romantic comedy about a girl who takes over a shrine as its god.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 3 (volumes 7-9)

I’m making steady progress on obtaining these as they release. Another volume or two and I might have enough of a buffer to work them into my reading schedule.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 4-5

These were gifted to me. I’m excited to be making progress on my collection for this series. It’s been on my list of things to finish reading for so long that I have to start over. I’m so glad I’ll have my own set eventually. Originally I read them by borrowing from a friend.

What is it?

A gender bend, slice of life, comedy, romance.

The Rising of the Shield Hero: The Manga Companion, Vol. 1

I’ve never had a manga labelled as a manga companion before, so I’m not entirely sure what that means. I THINK it means it’s just not the original source material. If that’s the case, then I’ve had a lot of manga companions that were not labelled as such. The original material in this case is the light novel version of the series. This book was a gift.

What is it?

An isekai featuring a poorly treated protagonist in a world similar to a video game.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1-3

This is the manga version of the popular light novel series, Spice & Wolf. Every volume is marked as explicit content, but upon flipping through a bit, it looks like that’s just because Holo is frequently naked. Nipples are included in the art, so they have to be more careful about the rating. These volumes were gifts.

Reviews for one through five of the light novel editions are already available, with six coming soon. Manga reviews will get done more slowly depending how frequently I get the books. I’m curious to see the differences.

What is it?

A commerce slow burn romance between a human merchant and a snarky wolf girl.

Light Novel and Manga Haul January 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

I’ve been ordering too many books. My wallet is crying. I’ll have to try to slow down.

All books in this haul are orders from Amazon and ThriftBooks. Yu Yu Hakusho volume two is the only one not pre-owned.

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8 & 9

I am steadily working my way through this series. It’s pretty great. Reviews for volumes one through five are already up.

What is it?

A commerce slow burn romance between a human and a snarky wolf girl.

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 17 & 19

This series is out of print, and most volumes are expensive. I found these two, by chance, for about $20 total. I wasn’t going to pass on that. There are only five more volumes remaining until I have them all. Due to the prices, this may take some time.

What is it?

An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.

Detective Conan (Japanese), Vol. 1 & 3

I love Case Closed/Detective Conan. Mysteries are one of my favorite genres. I already have 1-10 in English, and I’ve seen a lot of the anime. Because I love this series so much, I figure getting them in Japanese is a good way to practice reading the language. My vocabulary isn’t big enough, yet, but having these around is a good motivator to stick with my lessons.

These are pretty cool, because as the Japanese editions, they actually have a book jacket. The cover underneath is in black and white.

What is it?

A mystery series in which a secret organization turns the protagonist into a child via medicine.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 12

I have a long way to go before I finish collecting this series. I’m only about one third of the way done. It’s out of print, so every volume I buy is pre-owned.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 10-12

There are only three volumes remaining until I complete this series.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

Yu Yu Hakusho, Vol. 2

This series is one of my favorites from my childhood. I have never read it, but I used to watch the anime all the time. I also have the DVD collection and the PS2 fighting game. Volume one was gifted to me a couple years ago, so I’m only just now starting to get moving on collecting the manga.

I had problems getting this one in. At first, there were stock issues, so it was entirely unattainable. When it finally got a restock, I ordered it, and it got lost in the mail. I ended up resolving the issue by re-ordering it with another larger book in hopes the larger book would prevent the package from getting lost in the mail, like it did the first time. When it finally came in, the delivery person left it in the wrong place. I feel like I’m lucky I managed to get it at all. I swear if I didn’t re-order it with that larger book, it probably would have gotten lost again.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers, demons, and fighting tournaments.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5 (LN)

fantasticfictionsblog

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5 by Isuna Hasekura
Series Name: Spice & Wolf (Light Novel)
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Commerce
Intended Age Group: 15+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-7595-3110-9
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Arriving in the town of Lenos, Lawrence and Holo take a respite from their travels north – but a true businessman never rests! It isn’t long before an opportunity for profit presents itself to Lawrence, one that could fulfill his dreams of owning his own establishment. But as always, the promise of great reward carries great risk – and risk is never greater than when one plans to use a wisewolf as collateral! As Lawrence and Holo feel the ties binding them stretched thin, has the time come for the pair to go their separate ways?

Personal & Info

It took me a few months to circle back around to this series. My reading schedule is a bit of a mess right now.

Characters

It’s been one week since the events of volume four. Lawrence and Holo are comfortable around each other. Their banter has gotten more elaborate and playful as Lawrence has learned how to keep up better with her wit. I think it’s obvious they both either have a crush on each other, or feel some kind of ownership regarding the other person. Both of them get jealous regarding interactions with the opposite sex. They should just tell each other how they feel, but then we wouldn’t have an interesting story, now would we?

Story & Thoughts

I adore this series, but this volume does not resonate with me. It was a little upsetting to read. A large chunk of the story feels highly melancholy and depressing. They start analyzing things, like how different Holo’s lifespan is compared to humans and whether or not she could feasibly tire of being in someone’s company because of that.

I thought we were past the threats of Holo potentially leaving. The first few volumes all have that as a will she or won’t she. I’m not amused to see it come up again. At this point, I thought they would have no more issue staying together and waiting to reassess until they find Holo’s homeland. It’s starting to feel repetitive with this theme constantly popping up.

Holo seems extra violent in this volume. Granted, for the worst of it, she is angry and frustrated, but that doesn’t necessarily make it okay. Especially when she knowingly targets areas she knows are sensitive. We already know she doesn’t exactly have a shining personality, but part of this book shows off her more abusive side. I find it a little concerning she doesn’t show any concern for Lawrence’s condition at that time either.

The business opportunity in this one doesn’t seem as suspenseful as the others. Everything goes smoothly, and nobody is really in any danger. There is potential danger, but even if things were to go catastrophically bad, it’s implied nobody’s life is truly at risk.

I do like that this book is one of the few times Lawrence works on a deal by himself. It’s important he doesn’t always rely on Holo, otherwise he might lose the practiced merchant skills he had before meeting her.