Hello everyone! Welcome to another look at the light novel series making their debut, this time for the month of December 2020. As always, if you want to see all the light novels releasing in December and beyond, be sure to visit the Preorders page.
I apologize for this being late. But I’m still getting it out before any of the new series debut, so hopefully you all can forgive me!
This month sees premieres from all the major English light novel distributors. We have 1 new titles from Seven Seas, 3 from Yen On, 2 from Cross Infinite World, 1 from J-Novel Club, and 3 from Sol Press who has risen from the dead ;)
As usual, the vast majority of titles are fantasy/isekai, but we manage to squeeze some slice of life/romance titles in there too!
So, with all that said, let’s get to it!
First up is the single premiere from Seven Seas. This is a digital advance release, with the print version coming in March 2021.
This title should appeal to fans of Arifureta with its familiar themes of a summoned class of teenagers and one of them being cast aside for being average in his abilities. However, in this case, the summoning goddess herself is the one to betray him, setting in motion a god-destroying desire for vengeance!
Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells
EPIC FAIL
Abruptly catapulted into a fantasy world, Mimori Touka and his classmates have been summoned by the world’s resident goddess to serve as heroes. Luckily, most of the students display amazing skills upon arrival–except for Mimori, whose abilities bottom out at a measly E-rank. With no further use for him, the goddess banishes Mimori to a dungeon from which no one has ever returned alive. Yet, as it turns out, Mimori’s skills aren’t so much worthless as they are abnormal. Abnormally powerful, even. If Mimori can only claw his way back to the surface, nothing will stand in his way from getting revenge.
Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells Volume 1 (eBook)(print releases March 9, 2021)
Amazon — Apple — Google Play — Kobo — Bookwalker
Releasing December 10, 2020 — ASIN: B08LS4Y7R6
Next up is the first of Yen On‘s new titles. This is also one of the two slice of life, romantic comedies debuting this month. A number of people have said this is a very sweet and wholesome title. So if you like rom-coms and want a title that’s going to feel warm and comfortable, this could be the one for you! It also doesn’t hurt that it’s ranked on Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi for the past two years!
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten
Amane lives alone in an apartment, and the most beautiful girl in school, Mahiru, lives just next door. They’ve almost never spoken-until the day he sees her in distress on a rainy day and lends her his umbrella. To return the favor, she offers him help around the house, and a relationship slowly begins to blossom as the distance between them closes…
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten Volume 1 (paperback/ebook)
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf -- BAM! -- Indigo
Releasing December 15, 2020 -- ISBN-13: 978-1975319236
Readers of Goblin Slayer will be familiar with the character of Sword Maiden and that she was part of a group to defeat a demon lord. Well, we’re finally getting a chance to experience that adventure in this spin-off title.
Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana
Not a soul knows how the death and destruction started. Only one thing is certain–it came from the north. Deep within the Dungeon of the Dead is where the Demon King resides, and the only hope humanity has of defeating this great evil rests on the shoulders of a handful of adventurers. This tale of Sword Maiden’s past smells of ash and sounds like the ringing of bare steel.
Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana Volume 1 (paperback/ebook)
Amazon -- Barnes and Noble -- Book Depository -- Rightstuf -- BAM! -- Indigo
Releasing December 15, 2020 -- ISBN-13: 978-1975318239
The first of Cross Infinite World‘s titles is returning us to the world of otome games. However, this time, the game is filled with so many deadly bad ends, it’s almost impossible for the main character to consider falling in love or enjoying her new life! There’s a very dark Alice in Wonderland vibe to this one that I’m finding very appealing!
I Reincarnated As Evil Alice, So the Only Thing I'm Courting Is Death!
Struck by a car while saving a kitten, I died and reincarnated as the heroine of Evil Alice's Lover, my absolute favorite otome game. But before I could even enjoy my new life as Alice, I remembered something important. Even though this is a game about dating, there are so many bad endings, it won the award for “Deadliest Game of the Yearâ€!
I'm not allowed to fall in love if I want to live?! But the death flags just keep coming!
Packed with suspense and romance, this is the story of my gothic romantic comedy!
I Reincarnated As Evil Alice, So the Only Thing I'm Courting Is Death! Volume 1 (ebook)
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released December 18, 2020 — ASIN: B08L7DHCB3
The next release from Cross Infinite World is actually a delayed title from last month. It’s a isekai/fantasy/slice of life title about a young girl trying to improve the life of the man who took her in.
Reincarnated as the Last of My Kind
A bicycle crashes into me one night, and the next thing I know, I'm a baby?!
Getting reincarnated in another world populated by humans, demi-humans, and mythical beasts is certainly not the turn I thought my life was going to take. I especially didn't expect to be carried off by a wolf and given into the care of a one-armed former knight! Now I'm trying to repay him by rebuilding the family inn and healing his arm with alchemy. But the more time passes, the more it becomes clear to me that I'm not actually human…
Reincarnated as the Last of My Kind Volume 1 (eBook)
Amazon — Apple — Google Play — Kobo — Bookwalker
Releasing December 21, 2020 — ASIN: B08KFSHMPV
The next release is the sole title debuting from J-Novel Club this month. I’ll cut them some slack as they’ve been pumping out new titles every month and certainly 2021 doesn’t look any different.
This one is part of their J-Novel Heart line. A tale about a girl who finds herself in a very odd school which promises a bright future if she can become an accomplished maid?! Some heavy yuri vibes from this one.
Girls Kingdom
All Misaki wanted was a free education. Instead, she accidentally lands an exclusive contract with the most prestigious girl in school… to serve as her personal maid! Misaki soon discovers that Amanotsuka Academy for Girls is no ordinary school--her classes are all about how to be a maid, too! Students who impress the school's elite young ladies with their domestic service skills might be lucky enough to become a “Seraph,†guaranteeing them a job with an upper-class household after they graduate.
But Misaki doesn't want to be a maid; she just wants to study hard, go to college, and work for a good company. So why did Himeko make her into her Seraph out of nowhere? What kind of rich girl hires a maid who wants nothing to do with the job?! If she wants to get through high school, Misaki has a lot to get used to!
Girls Kingdom Volume 1 (ebook)
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released December 23, 2020 — ASIN: B08L3TR3CY
On December 28th, Sol Press rises from its slumber to knock out three new series all on the same day!
The first one is a fantasy/reincarnation tale where the main character, who was a powerful swordsman in his previous life, decides to pursue magic in this new one. Too bad is talent is so low his own family disowns him. But hey, he’s determined, so I bet he’ll get somewhere!
I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage
One day, Soma learns that he was reincarnated from a powerful swordsman. In this life, however, all he wants is to master magic!
When he learns that he has no skills at all in this life, he gets left behind by his family. With no magic spells, most would assume he’ll never be able to cast even a single spell, but Soma isn’t ready to take “no” for an answer…
I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage Volume 1 (ebook)
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released December 28, 2020 — ASIN: B08MVT63RQ
The next title from Sol Press is a gameplayer being brought to another world with his game master skills intact. What makes it sound a little different is the fact he isn’t just taken to the world of the game he played, he is abducted with a number of other players to separate world and they are pitted against each other!
The Game Master has Logged In to Another World
This MMO is taking the world by storm! Become a GM today and gain access to unique and powerful abilities!
Masaki Toudou, game master for the popular MMORPG Brittalia Online, collapses on his way to a ramen shop. When he awakes, he finds himself in a world ravaged by war and chaos. In this new world, countless other players have been summoned from various games and forced to do battle.
The moment he arrives, Masaki is put on the execution block. If he wants to escape, he’ll have to call on his powers--a collection of GM-only skills that even cheaters can’t replicate.
The Game Master has Logged In to Another World Volume 1 (ebook)
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released December 28, 2020 — ASIN: B08MWQLP6M
This last title from Sol Press was on the most recent Tankobon ranking in Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi. It’s a play on the reluctant character just trying to get others to listen to him when he says he’s no good and wants to quit.
Let This Grieving Soul Retire! Woe is the Weakling Who Leads the Strongest Party
The golden age has dawned for treasure hunters, who raid treasure vaults all over the world in search of glory, despite the dangers. Immeasurable wealth, fame, and power await those who prevail.
“Let’s be treasure hunters!”
This promise between Krai Andrey and his friends came to a sad conclusion when young Krai realized he didn’t have a treasure-hunting bone in his body. Yet for some reason, people’s expectations of Krai continued to grow--as did the danger to his life. While his friends became greater, greedier beasts, Krai mastered the art of begging and pleading!
Witness the weal and woe of a man who just wants to retire.
Let This Grieving Soul Retire! Woe is the Weakling Who Leads the Strongest Party Volume 1 (ebook)
Amazon -- iBook -- Kobo -- Google Play — Bookwalker
Released December 28, 2020 — ASIN: B08MVT1H5R
The last debut of the month comes from Yen On. It sees an accomplished assassin from our world being reborn into a new world. The twist, the family he’s been reborn into is also a long line of assassins!
I confess, I wasn’t as excited for this title until I was given a little more insight into why the main character has been summoned. I won’t spoil things, but I am far more interested in checking this one out now!
The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World
When a great assassin is reborn in another world, he finds himself the heir to a long line of killers from the shadows. With both his modern-day knowledge and experience and the special magic and techniques of this new world, he could very well become the most unstoppable assassin in history…!
The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World Volume 1 (paperback/ebook)
Amazon -- Barnes and Noble -- Book Depository -- Rightstuf
Releasing December 29, 2020 -- ISBN-13: 978-1975312411
So those are all the series making their debut during the month of December, 2020. Which ones are you looking forward to?
I’ll see you in 2021 with the January premieres!
Welp, I’ve read the manga of world finest assasin reincarnation, and it was suck.
Having the supposed be THE world finest assasin getting reincarnated ONLY to get some super OP MAGIC cheat plus super EARTH KNOWLEDGE truly breaks the premise of the whole story. What is the point of him being an assasin in his previous life? How did he get those whole darn knowledge? Are those even necessary for an assasin. Well, it’s just another stupid isekai, better go look for something else….
Ok, thats enough rant from me.
I’m sorry to hear that. I thought that at least the reason he was brought to the other world (no spoilers) would make up for the typical OP MC aspect. Oh well….
Yeah, but at least the art was cool.