It’s about time I put together another one of these posts! Let’s start by looking over what light novels we’ve got now.
Recent Releases
In January, we had five new releases! Pandora Hearts: Caucus Race (vol 3), Strike the Blood (vol 2), The Isolator (vol 2), Kagerou Daze (vol 3), and Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose – Catastrophe at Sixteen (vol 1).
Then in February, we had four more releases… Naruto: Shikamaru’s Story, Rising of the Shield Hero (vol 3), A Certain Magical Index (vol 6), and The Boy and the Beast.
Upcoming Releases
Actually, two of these have already come out! You can now pick up the novel Legend of the Galactic Heroes (volume 1, titled “Dawn”) as well as the twenty-third volume of Vampire Hunter D. Coming up on March 22nd though, we will get four more books to read: Log Horizon (vol 4), Accel World (vol 6), Durarara!! (vol 3), and No Game No Life (vol 4). Are you all keeping up with your favorite series? I’m already falling behind on them, but I’m working on it.
Note: Legend of the Galactic Heroes (vol 1) is available not only as a paperback, but also as an ebook and an audiobook.
Site News
- Did you all catch Gee’s guest review of Spice and Wolf volume 16? Don’t forget, if you’re interested in submitting a review, feel free to check out the guidelines here and send me an email.
- Look forward to a special feature coming up soon? This is one I’ve wanted to do for a long time now.
English Light Novel News
- Just a reminder: Bakemonogatari has been licensed by Vertical! It is planned to release in three volumes, from December 2016 to February 2017.
- Interested in getting a look inside the new release Legend of the Galactic Heroes? An excerpt has been posted online.
- If you’re interested in listening to Kizumonogatari as an audiobook, you can look forward to that releasing some time this spring. Recently, the readers for the audiobook have been revealed.
- Novel and film news: Project Itoh’s Genocidal Organ (which is available in English via Haikasoru) may be getting a Hollywood film adaptation. This Japanese sci-fi novel is already receiving an anime film, which is planned for release some time this year.
Japanese Light Novel News
- It has been foretold that Onii-sama’s second coming will take the form of a film adaptation for The Irregular at Magic High School.
- Speaking of anime adaptations, there will be an anime for Eromanga-Sensei, the LN series from the author and illustrator of OreImo.
- Another anime adaptation? This one will be for Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Sword Oratoria. Don’t forget, the spin-off LN series will release in English starting this October.
- The 21st volume of The Familiar of Zero was a success in Japan, ranking first in sales charts the week it released. This and the following volume (the final one for the series) have a new author (whose identity has been kept secret), as Noboru Yamaguchi had passed away in 2013.
- Isuna Hasekura has announced a sequel for Spice and Wolf is in the works, in celebration of the light novel series’ 10th anniversary.
- What novel won Book Walker’s Grand Prix Award for 2015? It was DanMachi.
- SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online is getting an online manga adaptation.
- Speaking of SAO, it looks like IBM Japan is going to make the virtual reality world of Aincrad a (virtual) reality! This “Cognitive System” video game will be called Sword Art Online: The Beginning. Will you be willing to give it a try, and hope you won’t be trapped inside and potentially killed?
- While on the topic of video games, Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax Ignition is receiving another set of DLC characters. This time it’s Ako and Lucian from Netoge no Yome wa Onna no Ko Janai to Omotta?
- Have you read Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit? This novel series will be getting a live-action drama adaptation in Japan.
- It looks like there will be two more entries for the Monogatari light novel series this year: Nademonogatari (“Caressing Story”) and Musubimonogatari (“Binding Story”).
Links to Recent Reviews and Articles
- There have been a bunch of light novel reviews posted at The August Hail lately, including posts for every volume of When Hikaru Was on the Earth, The Isolator (vol 2), Gekkou, Black Bullet (vol 1), Sword Art Online: Progressive (vol 3), and Sekai no Owari no Encore (vol 1).
- Frog-kun has shared some thoughts on the following light novels: Qualidea of Scum and a Gold Coin, Kizumonogatari, and Ore to Kanojo no Moeyo Pen.
- A review from Honya’s Bookshelf: Whether it Rains or Shines Tomorrow.
- Reviews from Sam Reality: No Game No Life (vol 1) and Sword Art Online (vol 5).
- Here is a review of Kizumonogatari from Manime Conquest.
- And from Melodicity, reviews for Gekkou and Apocalypse Alice (vol 3).
- A review of The Devil is a Part-Timer! (vol 1) is up at Daiyamanga.
- From UntimelyPop, a review of The Empty Box and the Zeroth Maria (vol 5-6).
- The Vocaloid-inspired novel Bad End Night gets reviewed at Jinxiang.
- If you are interested in light novel stats, be sure to check out posts from Kuudere’s Shadow. Here are rankings for sales in February, and here is another list for all of 2015. Also, a bunch of top 10 lists for 2015.
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.
Thanks for linking my reviews, and also for the news. There’s quite a number of things I didn’t realize were happening until now.
I’m really impressed with how fast you’re reading and reviewing all those books!
Thanks for linking my review!
No problem, Librarian!
I’m not sure why you linked my personal top 10 from last year post, especially as only one bit of it had anything to do with light novels, but oh well. To clarify – that post is just my personal opinion, and contains things that I happened to start watching/reading last year.
I haven’t actually bought any light novels that came out this year yet. Strange feeling, that. The Isolator was in Waterstones when I went in there today but I bought a couple of other things instead (including Kizumonogatari – or “Kizumonogotari” as it says on the receipt for some reason). Oh well, a big shopping trip should be just a month away and I’m sure I’ll pick up some of them then.
I bought some more LNs at the bookstore recently, but this past month I’ve been reading some other titles I’ve long been meaning to get around to. Should have a few reviews lined up for later this month.
The Isolator volume 2 is one I still need to pick up at some point. Which reminds me, I wonder if Kawahara’s works will get ebooks in English some time this year?
Wow, lots of news! (And I love the header!)
P.S. Thanks for linking to my review!
No problem, Krystallina. I enjoyed Devil is a Part-Timer’s first volume as well, but I still need to pick up the volumes that have come out since then…
I’ve been keeping up on SAO and SAO Progressive, Shield Hero, No Game and Log Horizon. I’ve read the first volume of a few others and read some one offs, but those are the ones I’m current with. Lots of reading to do! Reading a Boy and Beast adaptation now, which I like a lot and volume one of Strike the Blood which I find pretty bland.
That’s a lot of books — hope most of them have been enjoyable for you so far. I’m curious to hear how well people like the novel for Boy and the Beast, as there’s been a lot of criticism for the film rushing certain aspects of the plot. Perhaps a book could fix up some of those issues.
Yeah, I average a book a week and lately about half my reading is light novels and I enjoy the vast majority of them, they’re like comic books that take a lot longer to read and are a better value.
I just finished Boy and the Beast, and am probably not the best person to ask about it as I loved the movie (saw it in the theater two weeks ago) and didn’t find there to be the narrative lapses that others have complained about. I actually rather liked how the movie condensed what could have been a season or two of a shonen anime elegantly into a two hour movie and did so in a way that had emotionally weight (IMO of course). So while the book did expand a bit on the characters and shine light on their thoughts and certain slight details, I didn’t really find it offered anything that was missing in the movie. That said, it was a good book and I quite enjoyed the experience of reading.