English Title:Â Brave Story
Japanese Title: ブレイブ・ストーリー — “Brave Story”
Author: Miyuki Miyabe
Illustrator: Dan May (English cover)
Translator: Alexander Smith
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Original Run: 1999 – 2001
English Run: 2007
Japanese Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten, Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
English Publisher:Â Viz Media (Haikasoru)
Volumes in Japanese: 4 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (Completed)
Note: The story was first released in two volumes for Japan, then later as four light novel volumes. The English release was compiled into one book.
Average Price Per Volume: Hardcover $19 –Â Paperback $14 -- Kindle $9 -- Nook $9
Synopsis:Â Alone after his father his hospitalized and his mother attempts suicide, Wataru Mitani ventures from the real world to the land of Vision, where he seeks five magical gemstones representing the qualities of charity, bravery, faith, grace, and the power of light and darkness. With these, perhaps Watari can change his fate and bring his family together again.
Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
Released November 17, 2009 — ISBN-13: 978-1421527734
Reviews of Brave Story
Misprinted Pages: Vol 1
Noms for Thoughts: Vol 1
Ranobe Cafe: Vol 1
Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — movie — Aired July 2006 (Japan Only)
Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 20 volumes — Published April 2004 – May 2008 (Japan Only)
If you liked Brave Story, you might also want to try…
- Other Haikasoru Novels — Book of Heroes, Ico: Castle in the Mist, and Phantasm Japan also written by Miyuki Miyabe
- The Boy and the Beast — child trapped in a fantasy world
- Adventures of Duan Surk — fantasy adventure
Note: The header image comes from a Japanese edition of a Brave Story publication.
If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!
I’m actually in the middle of re-reading this myself right now. It’s a great story! A little intimidating (800+ pages), but well worth the time.
I’ve only heard good things about this novel, so I’ll have to give it a read some time. (Maybe for the Kindle, since it’s such a big book!)
From what I understand there’s a PSP game for the franchise as well, which was also held in high regard. Probably something worth looking into for fans of the story.
A bit unrelated, but *that* cover… lol.
It’s a sort of art style I see used on a lot of covers for children’s lit in the West… Kind of a Phineas and Ferb meets Where the Wild Things Are, perhaps. =P