It’s time for light novel notes!
I’m going to stop posting recent releases (I have those covered here), but I will go over what’s coming out soon. (Or in the case of The Violet Knight, what has just barely released.)
The Violet Knight volume 1 (ebook)
Amazon
Release Date: September 12, 2016
Strike the Blood volume 4 (paperback, ebook)
Amazon -- Barnes and Noble -- Book Depository
Release Date: September 27, 2016
My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected volume 1 (paperback)
Amazon -- Barnes and Noble -- Book Depository
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Overlord volume 2 (hardcover, ebook)
Amazon -- Barnes and Noble -- Book Depository
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Kagerou Daze volume 5 (paperback, ebook)
Amazon -- Barnes and Noble -- Book Depository
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Accel World volume 7 (paperback)
Amazon -- Barnes and Noble -- Book Depository
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Note: The release date for the third Seraph of the End omnibus appears delayed — that will release on November 8th.
Site News
- Reminder: Did you know you can submit your own reviews for a light novel? Now is your chance to become internet-famous, at least among people who visit this site!
- Plans for the future: I am thinking of putting together LN Notes posts more often, and having them be shorter. Does that sound good to all of you?
- I really want there to be more light novel discussions. I’ve tried having a summer reading program for two years now, where we could all chime in on six different books. But I feel like I need to find a better way to encourage people to share their thoughts on… anything. I have two ideas, and I’m willing to try them both:
- Pick a series, and set up a discussion for each volume as they come out. (If you’re wondering what series I have in mind, it’s My Youth Romantic Comedy. The first volume releases in a couple weeks.)
- Find someone who will want to discuss a specific LN at length, and go from there. Basically, a quality over quantity approach using guest-collab posts to create discussion. (Feel free to email me if this sounds like something you would be interested in taking part in at some time over the next… six months?)
English Light Novel News
- Reminder: Vertical recently announced a license for a Seven Deadly Sins light novel. It is expected to release in English in May 2017.
- Udon Entertainment will be releasing an English translation of a Street Fighter novel. It is called Street Fighter: The Novel.
- Do you want to see Isuna Hasekura, the author of Spice and Wolf? He will be appearing at New York Comic Con, which will be held from October 6th to 9th.
- Speaking of Spice and Wolf, Yen Press recently announced a collector’s edition hardcover omnibus of the seventeen volumes — preorders sold out quickly, but fortunately there will be a second printing. Keep your eyes peeled for that!
Japanese Light Novel News
- In Japan, the 18th volume of Sword Art Online has released, concluding the “Alicization” story arc. A new story arc for the series will begin next year.
- Ryohga Narita has revealed that he is working on the final volume set in 1935 for the Baccano! series.
- Which will you choose: Death or Kiss? You will get the chance to do just that, when a Re:Zero video game releases in Japan.
- How are things looking for the upcoming Zaregoto OVA adaptation? You can take a look at all the characters and how they compare to their LN counterparts here. (Also check out its trailer here.)
- A certain magical author, Kazuma Kamchi, has published a light novel every month for the last 24 months! An LN stack like that is one heavy object. To write so many books, he must come from an intellectual village.
- Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime film, Your Name, is currently making a big splash in Japan. The book (also written by Makoto Shinkai) is doing just as well, apparently.
- A slightly different kind of LN -> anime adaptation: The Other World Dining Hall will be about an unusual restaurant.
Links to Recent Reviews and Articles
- First off, an interesting article going over all the top-selling light novels in history. Some of the titles that make the list may surprise you!
- OASG is hosting a contest: win a copy of the first volume of My Youth Romantic Comedy!
- Some of their recent reviews: Log Horizon (vol 5), Seraph of the End (vol 1), and My Favorite Song (vol 1).
- Lots of August Hail reviews to check out, including Re:Zero, Qualidea of Scum and a Gold Coin, and Manuscript Screening Boy and Manuscript Submitting Girl. Also, be sure to look at this post going over a year’s worth of light novel reading.
- For those of you following Re:Zero, I suggest reading this article by Frog-kun. It focuses on the translation of the first light novel volume, as well as the anime.
- At Logistics, an article titled “Reasons Why I Like The Rising of the Shield Hero.”
- And at Toxic Muffin, an article regarding web novels and “chuuni delusions.”
- At Anime Tengoku, reviews of Sword Art Online (vol 8) and A Certain Magical Index (vol 8).
- From Cardigan Chrissie, a review for Chain Mail: Addicted to You.
- At Sleepless Book Junkies, a quick Kino no Tabi review.
- And at Hopeless Procrastinator, an in-depth No.6 review.
- Not exactly light novel-related, but might still be of interest: a look at the covers for A Study in Charlotte, comparing its US release to its Japan release. You might notice how in Japan, it basically looks like a light novel cover? This is actually quite common for English YA novels, when they are published in Japanese.
And that's all I have for now! Please feel free to post links to more light novel-related articles, and to share your thoughts on this feature or anything else for the site.
That heavy Object reference. Still wishing it gets licensed here.
Some more sci-fi would be nice, right?
“A certain magical author, Kazuma Kamchi, has published a light novel every month for the last 24 months! An LN stack like that is one heavy object. To write so many books, he must come from an intellectual village.”
[incoherent screaming]
Wow so the Alicization arc ended and we’re getting a new arc! I honestly thought that Alicization would be the last arc.
Also the idea so LNs discussions. I’m honestly a slow reader so if you start with a new series that just released i might be able to keep up. The one you picked up is cool so go for it :D
It’s hard to say how well it will work out, but I’m willing to give it a shot. There should be a decent number of people interested in discussing Oregairu (My Youth Romantic Comedy), and it’s the type of story that I think will serve well for that sort of thing.
As for other light novels, I’ll be reaching out to people to see who might want to talk about specific books, and then give everyone here some kind of advanced notice to try reading the book before the discussion post is put up (perhaps a month later).
That list of best-selling light novels is really fascinating – I’m surprised at just how many I haven’t heard of! More than that though, I’m reminded just how much I want to see a Sainkoku Monogatari light novel localisation and Kino no Tabi to be picked up again…
Of this month’s releases, I’ve bought The Violet Knight – it’s my next in line to read this month. To be honest I’m a little iffy on the initial premise but I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. :)
I would be quite happy to see those titles localized too. Sainkoku Monogatari seems to have always been well-regarded, and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read of Kino. I get the impression there are dozens of other series that publishers would be more eager to bring over before titles like those though.
I am planning to pick up The Violet Knight as well. I still haven’t finished reading the publisher’s previous release (My Favorite Song), but I am interested in comparing the two works, since they both use the same premise but are supposedly quite different tonally.
Haha, it’s sad but true. It makes me even more surprised that Kieli was both localised and the full series released – if it were now, I couldn’t see it happening. Perhaps one day..?
I’ll also be interested to see how The Violet Knight compares with My Favourite Song. I finished My Favourite Song a couple of days after its release and while I don’t agree with everything the linked review says, it’s certainly true that the story starts a little shakily but gets a good deal better as it progresses and I’ll be picking up the next volume when its out. I’m hoping The Violet Knight pulls off the darker tone successfully without falling into the pitfalls of being overly edgy or angsty but we’ll have to wait and see. :)