Manga Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #15

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has  a unique bent to it. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 15 of the Spice and Wolf manga, and you can read on for the review. (For my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

The Debau Company is headed to a point of no return. The radicals within the company have made their move and deposed the conservative faction, all the while steering the northlands closer to the brink of open battle. A certain wolf rushes South as fast as her paws can carry her, but can Lawrence and the Myuri Mercenary Company hold back the flames of war long enough for a chance at lasting peace?

The Review

Having been manipulated by Hilde into fleeing Lesko, Lawrence and the Myuri Mercenaries must determine their next plan of action. The discussion between Lawrence and the mercenary leaders is intended to provide a snapshot of their current circumstances and options, but it is a little difficult to follow. However, they clearly make the decision to go to Svernel, as Hilde intended, and shortly thereafter, the situation really gets interesting when pursuers hired by the Debau Company catch up to them.

The Myuri Company’s reaction to the arrival of the Hugo Company and Luward’s communications with Captain Rebonato might strike readers as baffling. After all, these people are mercenaries, and modern Western readers generally think of mercenaries as fighters-for-hire whose only loyalty is to money. To the contrary, the mercenaries of the Spice and Wolf world are people with their own code of honor and who are distinctly different from knights, hired thugs, and assassins. As such, the staged battles between the Myuri and Hugo Companies were not at all what I expected.

Holo’s return to Lawrence is also rather low-key. Although she alludes to difficulties when she returned to Lesko to find Lawrence gone, the Myuri Company is not in dire straits when she rejoins them. That relaxed atmosphere allows for an unexpectedly tender moment in the snow with our lead couple. (Although the romance is immediately followed by blatant fan service when Holo retrieves the forbidden book.)

That lack of tension also serves another purpose: heightening the Myuri Company’s shock when their staged negotiation go awry. While the code of honor between mercenaries remains a bit of a puzzle for me, the turnabout is effective at flinging our heroes back into peril and bringing excitement back to the pages.

Extras include title illustration in color and afterword.

In Summary

Apparently, merchants aren’t the only ones who strike negotiations and scheme to minimize losses. Mercenaries do, too! Lawrence gets a glimpse into the world of mercenaries as he flees with the Myuri Company to Svernel.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #14

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has  a unique bent to it. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 14 of the Spice and Wolf manga, and you can read on for the review. (For my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Previously, Lawrence and Holo traveled to the town of Svernel in order to meet with the Myuri Mercenary Company and find out more about Holo’s past companions and her home. But now Lawrence has gotten completely caught up in the political strife of the Debau Trading Company.

It all surrounds the Debau Company’s desire to issue a new currency, with which they have apparent plans to unite the surrounding northern region. For their aim, the Debau Company needs to acquire raw ore and materials but this has caused their opponents to increase their own efforts to foil this plan. In the middle of all this, Lawrence is trusted with delivering a forbidden text detailing the necessary mining techniques to the trading company’s executive, Hilde Schnau but will it really go so smoothly?

The Review

At the end of Volume 13, merchant and wolf looked bound for a happy ending, and as Volume 14 opens, that tidy conclusion seems a done deal when Lawrence figures out the motivation behind the Debau Company’s actions. The company’s plans to create an empire in the Northlands through the power of trade are far and beyond anything a small-time merchant like Lawrence imagined possible. However, he recognizes the opportunity approaching and positions himself to have the store of his dreams and live happily ever after with Holo.

But just when everything seems perfect, a new character arrives to throw Lawrence’s plans into disarray. Hilde Schnau, the Treasurer of the Debau Company, makes his first appearance, but just as Lawrence and Holo have been observing the Debau Company’s activities, Hilde has been observing theirs. And he knows more about them than most because he is a being similar to Holo. Similar… but not alike. Watching Hilde interact with Holo and Lawrence keeps bringing to mind a certain scene from Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Because despite his cute appearance, he wields considerable power.

While it is a bit strange to watch a rabbit manipulate a wolf to do his bidding, it effectively drags the two travelers into an internal battle within the Debau Company. Thus the story zooms out from Holo and Lawrence’s intimate plans to the factions struggling within an economic giant. As it turns out, the forbidden book of mining techniques is key, but not in the way Holo and Lawrence thought. Once more, our heroes get swept into an affair much larger than themselves, and Holo especially must consider the future ramifications of the choices before her. And while mercenaries take arms and Holo makes use of her true form, Hilde does a wonderful job showing how well-placed words and pieces of paper can shape the outcome of a regional conflict.

Extras include title illustration in color and afterword.

In Summary

Just when the series looks about to conclude happily for Lawrence and Holo, a new character appears to throw everything into chaos. Wolf and merchant once more wind up entangled in a scheme—one that not only involves trade but armies of mercenaries and the fate of the entire Northlands. While the plots and counterplots within the Debau Company are a bit complicated, the interplay of economics, military, and supernatural might makes for a gripping narrative.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #13

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has  a unique bent to it. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 13 of the Spice and Wolf manga, and you can read on for the review. (For my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Lawrence and Holo continue to head for the Wise Wolf’s homeland of Yoitsu. Even their long, long journey begins to approach its end. On their way, they hear of a mercenary band that carries the name of Holo’s old friend, Myuri. As they investigate the group’s whereabouts in Lesko, they’re astonished by the town’s prosperity they find. But what could be the secret hidden beneath the veneer of success?

The Review

Two major themes have followed our merchant and wisewolf throughout their journey together. One is Holo’s desire to return home. The other is Lawrence’s ambition to succeed in business that he might open his own shop. In this volume, our travelers realize only one of these wishes will be fulfilled, with interesting results.

Having heard of a mercenary company bearing the name of Holo’s packmate Myuri, Holo and Lawrence travel to the Northlands town of Lesko. What they find is not her old companion but a young mercenary leader and a message passed down his family for generations. It’s a major turning point for Holo when she realizes she can never return to the world she once knew, and the creators do a terrific job of portraying her grief and the astonishment of the mercenary captain, who never thought anyone would actually show up to receive Myuri’s message.

Holo rarely displays such emotion and vulnerability, and Lawrence does his best to give her a shoulder to cry on. However, in his efforts to cheer her up, he quickly gets distracted by how unusual Lesko is. They came to the place expecting a city on the brink of war, but the mood of Lesko is relaxed and peaceful, and the Myuri mercenaries assure Lawrence that there’s no chance of conflict. In addition, Lesko, unlike the other cities they’ve traveled through, has no walls, no guilds, and no tariffs. So when Lawrence sees a certain piece of property for sale, Lesko looks like the perfect place to set up shop. There just one troublesome thing: the Debau Company, which controls the town, is offering an outrageous exchange rate for gold coin, and until Lawrence can figure out what they’re up to, he doesn’t dare make a move.

Thus, we have the economics arc to the story. But interspersed with Lawrence’s efforts to unravel the company’s machinations are deeply personal, intimate moments as he imagines the business he’s dreamed of with the person he longs to share it with. For those who’ve been hankering for more sweetness in Spice and Wolf, you’ll get it as Holo lets go of the past and sets her sights on the future Lawrence holds out to her.

Extras include the title illustration in color and afterword.

In Summary

As the cover illustration insinuates, the bond of affection is growing between wisewolf and merchant. Holo’s mood has generally alternated between amused and annoyed, but in this installment, she goes through the emotional wringer in a way we haven’t seen before. At the same time, Lawrence discovers in Lesko the chance to realize a long-cherished dream. But instead of these experiences pulling them apart, the pair winds up closer, and amid a mystery of gathering mercenaries and cheap gold, romance blooms between merchant and wisewolf.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #18

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released the 18th(!) volume of this novel series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

The long-awaited continuation of the tale of Holo the Wise Wolf and the merchant Lawrence! Over ten years after Holo and Lawrence open “Bathhouse Spice and Wolf” in Nyohhira, the two climb up the mountain in order to help at the festival in Sverner. But Lawrence has an additional objective: to find more information about a new hot spring town near Nyohhira.

The Review

This eighteenth volume in the Spice and Wolf light novel series might have come as a surprise to you. It was certainly a surprise to me. After all, Hasekura-sensei wrote in Volume 17 that he was moving on to a new series. However, as he explains in the Volume 18 afterword, stuff happened, thus fans get another volume about Holo and Lawrence along with an upcoming spinoff novel about their daughter Myuri and Col. While Spice and Wolf: Spring Log provides a brief glimpse of the youngsters and their relationship in the 16-page story Parchment and Graffiti, the book focuses primarily on Holo and Lawrence.

As indicated by the subtitle “Spring Log,” the book does not relate a single grand adventure, but three separate events that take place in the same spring. Over a decade has passed since Holo and Lawrence met, and they are now residents in the hot springs town of Nyohhira. They also happen to be empty-nesters as their teenage daughter has followed Col to an adventure. While Lawrence is no longer a merchant, running a bathhouse also requires business sense, and The Margins of a Journey introduces his new line of work and the concerns that arise when rumors of the construction of a rival hot springs village reach his ears. The scheme Lawrence cooks up to keep customers seems just a pretext for a misleading opening scene, but the rest of the story does a nice job of bringing readers up to speed with their lives. For those who enjoyed Holo’s baiting and carefree attitude, there’s still plenty of that, but Lawrence has matured over years of marriage and is much better at handling it.

The next story Golden Memories moves us from business concerns to a mini mystery. Lawrence and Holo haven’t left the northlands in years, but travelers from all over visit their town. Thus, they play host to a peculiar guest who has the entire town scratching their heads. But once Lawrence figures out the man’s purpose for coming to Nyohhira, that brings up an entirely different puzzle, and Hasekura-sensei does an excellent job blending the mystery with melancholy and fun.

Melancholy and fun also figure into Muddy Messenger Wolf and Wolf. The longest work in the collection, it might have you running to The Coin of the Sun volumes for a refresher of the connections between Lesko, Svernel, the Debau Company, and the non-humans Millike and Hilde. Lawrence and Holo leave home to take care of business on behalf of Nyohhira at Svernel’s spring festival. As in their early adventures, Holo knows more about what’s happening, and Lawrence winds up playing the fool as a result. Lawrence’s participation in Svernel’s Festival of the Dead also makes for a boisterously entertaining scene.

Then the tone shifts with the introduction of new characters Selim and Aram. They have a quandary on their hands, but to Holo and Lawrence, they are an unwelcome reminder that Lawrence will die long before Holo does. Indeed, the narrative mentions over and over that Lawrence isn’t as hale as he used to be while Holo remains physically unchanged. Holo isn’t one to wax sentimental, but for those dying to hear Holo express her affections toward Lawrence, this is your chance.

The remainder of Muddy Messenger Wolf and Wolf has Lawrence figuring out a solution that will solve everyone’s problems. This is the weakest element of the story. I’m still unclear on exactly how Selim and Aram got their paws on their permit, and Holo and Lawrence’s brainstorming drags on while the plan’s execution rushes past. Still, our pair attain a satisfactory happy ending for themselves and others.

This light novel includes the first four pages of illustrations printed in color, world map, seven black-and-white illustrations, bonus art from Jyuu Ayakura and Keito Koume, and afterword.

In Summary

Lawrence and Holo are back! The four stories in this volume do an excellent job of showing how years of marriage have changed them as well as incorporating the elements of intrigue, fun, and money-making that characterized the series. Plus, we get a glimpse of the future in their daughter Myuri’s antics with Col. Spice and Wolf fans definitely need to pick this one up!

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #17 (FINAL)

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released the final volume of this novel series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

Several years have passed since the incidents surrounding the Coin of the Sun. Having received a letter from Holo, Norah the former shepherdess and Eve the merchant woman travel north–and on the way, they end up in the same wagon as Diana the alchemist! Were Lawrence and Holo able to find happiness for themselves? In addition to an epilogue covering the days immediately after the events of Volume 16, this final book in the Spice and Wolf series includes three new short stories!

The Review

I was somewhat surprised that the Coin of the Sun arc did not include an epilogue. Once Holo and Lawrence vow to live life together, the curtain closes without a hint of what that life looks like. As it turns out, this is because Hasekura-sensei needed more than a slim chapter to describe Holo and Lawrence’s post-journey life. Thus, we have Spice and Wolf Volume 17: Epilogue.

The series epilogue totals about one hundred pages split into two parts. The first, “Intermission,” is told from the perspective of Norah’s trusty dog Enek. Five years after Holo and Lawrence’s journey, Holo invites five of the women they encountered to the north for a celebration. Although Eve, Norah, Diana, Fran, and Elsa eventually wind up traveling in the same carriage, “Intermission” focuses predominantly on conversations between Norah, Eve, and Diana. The main topic of discussion is the couple that summoned them, and apparently, Holo’s not the only one to laugh at Lawrence’s expense. Female chatter aside, the chapter gives a detailed look at Norah’s life after the events of “The Shepherdess and The Black Knight.” Less information is provided on what happened to Eve following Kerube, but we still get a pretty good idea of her ever after.

The story then switches to Lawrence’s point of view for the second part, “Conclusion.” The events of the Coin of the Sun pretty much guaranteed him the means for his own business, and so we find him preparing for his grand opening. What is surprising is the location and type of business he’s going into. After all his talk of owning a shop, I’d thought he’d open a store in Lesko. Instead, he and Holo have settled in the hot springs town of Nyohhira to build an inn. As such, Lawrence continues to handle business matters but ones quite different from when he was a traveling merchant.

What hasn’t changed, however, is his inability to read Holo’s true intent. In fact, the women traveling to visit them seem to have a better grasp of what she’s plotting than Lawrence. Thus, we still have Laurence doing his utmost to please Holo but uncertain of what reaction he’ll get. One major shift, however, is that he now has the assurance that Holo will always be with him, which gives their relationship a sweet “married couple” feel despite the fact they are not officially wed. And even though “Conclusion” doesn’t include a wedding, the end is bound to delight Holo/Lawrence fans.

While the epilogue is too much to tack onto the end of a volume, it’s not quite enough to fill an entire book. As such, Hasekura-sensei wraps things up with three short stories. In ”Traveling Merchant and Gray Knight,” Holo remarks that Lawrence doesn’t speak much about his past, and that sets the stage for an anecdote about an eccentric, elderly knight Lawrence encountered well before Holo. “Gray Smiling Face and Wolf” tells of a profit-making scheme from Col’s perspective, and because Holo and Lawrence are more honest with the boy than they are with each other, it makes an interesting narrative. The final installment, “White Path and Wolf,” isn’t particularly exciting, but it does provide a quiet commentary on life and human existence, which makes a decent end to the closing volume of Spice and Wolf.

This light novel includes the first four pages of illustrations printed in color, world map, nine black-and-white illustrations, and afterward.

In Summary

If the romantic tension between Holo and Lawrence was what kept you reading Spice and Wolf, you’ll definitely want to pick up the last volume. It includes three side stories set during Holo and Lawrence’s travels together, but the main feature is Holo and Lawrence five years later. There is a business aspect to the epilogue, but by and large, it’s an illustration of what a happy ending between a merchant and wisewolf looks like.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #12

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has  a unique bent to it. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 12 of the Spice and Wolf manga, and you can read on for the review. (For my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases, click here.)

Back cover blurb

Lawrence and Holo’s long journey to Yoitsu is finally approaching its conclusion. Having arrived in the town of Lenos, they encounter a jolly bookseller named Le Roi–but is he truly the fool he seems? They’re closer than ever to laying their hands on a forbidden tome whose contents threaten to transform Holo’s homelands, but in the world of merchants, sometimes the only one you can trust is yourself…

The Review

Volume 12 brings a number of past characters back to the story. Not only do we have both deaconess Elsa and her loyal friend Evan from the village of Tereo, but members of the Rowen Trade Guild’s Kerube Branch also show up. Even Eve figures into the plot, although she doesn’t actually show up in person. With Yoitsu in striking distance, it’s as if the creators want to remind readers of the varied encounters Lawrence and Holo have had in their journey.

The business aspect of this arc also combines several elements introduced in earlier chapters. At the heart of it is the forbidden book that threatens Holo’s homeland. As it turns out, the bookseller with access to the book is an acquaintance of Elsa’s, the funding comes through Lawrence’s Kerube guild associates, and the fallout from Lenos’ fur riots a few volumes back creates the particular conditions required for the deal to work. However, there is a new development in the mix: word of a mercenary band bearing the name of one of Holo’s packmates.

Whereas the ultimate solution to other Spice and Wolf schemes get laid out gradually, this one comes in a massive info dump. The logic is clear to be sure, but its presentation is abrupt. Instead, the creators spend more time dwelling on the emotional turmoil that leads Lawrence to concoct the scheme, which romantically minded readers might prefer anyway.

Lawrence’s attraction to Holo has always been kept in check by our wisewolf’s cutting remarks and his own pride. Now with their destination looming close, he must face the fact that he doesn’t want to part from Holo. Then the possibility of Holo reuniting with one of her old packmates adds jealousy to the equation. As usual, Lawrence suffers most of the angst while Holo plays it cool. Part of this is because Elsa, in a somewhat out-of-character moment, practically forces Lawrence to use her as a confessor. Even so, we get two instances where Holo shows her softhearted side, which should be plenty to keep the Holo/Lawrence fans happy.

Extras include the title page in color and closing remarks from the creators.

In Summary

For a transaction dilemma that takes an awful long time to set up, the resolution is rather quick. However, Lawrence/Holo fans might be more interested in the emotions stirred up by the deal, and Volume 12 delivers plenty of Lawrence’s internal angst. He might not be the devout sort, but he spills it all in an unusually candid and heated confession to Deaconess Elsa.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #16

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 16 of this series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

The introduction of a new currency in the town of Lesko has filled Lawrence with boundless optimism, but his dreams come to a sudden and harsh end when two men from the Debau Company present him with a grim token-Col’s traveling bag. With his young friend’s safety threatened and the stability of the town suddenly in doubt, Lawrence’s plans to open a shop are dashed. Separated from Holo yet again, he finds himself a forced participant in a desperate scheme to reclaim the Debau Company from the nobility who now control it. But when mercenary armies clash in the mountains, what will become of Lawrence and Holo? For good or ill, the finale of their tale is at hand!

The Review

After the cliffhanger of Volume 15, I was eager for the conclusion to the Coin of the Sun. With the return of so many characters from the early part of the series, I was certain Volume 16 would begin with yet another reunion. Instead, Hasekura-sensei throws readers for a loop with the introduction of Hilde Schnau. He provides not only a look into the inner workings of the Debau Company, which Lawrence could only guess at earlier, but the efforts of the ancient to shape the new age.

Since arriving in the Northlands, Holo and Laurence have only encountered one being like Holo, the art dealer Hughes. However, it stands to reason that there would be more. After all, the Northlands are the last bastion of the pagan world. Unlike Hughes, who is content to drift along in the tide of mankind, some are actively working to control that flow, and Holo and Lawrence encounter not one, but three of these beings.

Thanks to internal strife within the Debau Company and Schnau’s plotting, the forbidden book once again becomes key to the fate of the Northlands. In addition, the mercenary companies that had been idle in Lesko finally see some action. The world of Spice and Wolf has been seen largely through the filter of trade; men of war are viewed as opportunity for profit or the hand that enforces the rules by which merchants play. However, Lawrence now gets a glimpse into the world of mercenaries and the rules they abide by. Thus, this fantasy gets some swordplay along with a healthy dose of backstabbing and betrayal.

Not surprisingly, Lawrence is practically useless on the battlefield. And when it comes to dealings on the scale of the Debau Company, he can only marvel at the power and skill wielded by its top strategists. However, there are things only a traveling merchant can observe, and Lawrence gets to make his own dramatic revelation. His thought process is somewhat more agonized than when he worked out the money order scheme with Delink, but it is fortunately much easier to comprehend than the backroom dealings in Kerube.

In the midst of all this excitement, we have Holo and Lawrence striving to forge a path to a quiet future together. This is a change in the dynamic where Holo is always keeping Lawrence at arm’s length. After they join hands in Volume 15, circumstances seem to be conspiring to pull them apart. In fact, Lawrence spends Chapter 7 and most of Chapter 8 away from Holo. However, absence makes the heart fonder, and readers will get to see a display of affection hitherto unthinkable for our wisewolf. No, there’s no steamy smut, but it is sweet, albeit with a dash of Holo’s trademark bite.

This light novel includes the first four pages of illustrations printed in color, world map, and eight black-and-white illustrations.

In Summary

Merchant and wolf reach their journey’s end, and it’s a brilliant finale with unexpected new characters, swordplay, underhanded schemes, and, of course, romance. Lawrence has been called “fool” countless times throughout this series, and over the last several volumes, the threat of ruin has hung over the Northlands. However, Lawrence has grown through his misadventures, and it’s beautiful to see his insight combine with Holo’s strength to protect her ancient homeland.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #15

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 15 of this series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

The Myuri mercenary band–a troop named for one of Holo’s old comrades. In order to find them, Lawrence and Holo make for Lesko, a town dominated by the copper-trading Debau Company. Rumors of the Debau Company’s schemes to both open more mines and seize control of the northern lands swirl, along with rumors that they’re concentrating military power in the town in preparation. But when Lawrence and Holo arrive in Lesko, they discover a surprisingly cheerful and peaceful place. What is really happening? Find out as the final act of Holo the Wisewolf and Lawrence the traveling merchant’s long journey draws close to its end!

The Review

The Coin of the Sun is the final arc in Lawrence and Holo’s journey, and Hasekura-sensei pulls out all the stops. As wonderful as this series is, some parts have dragged, others have been confusing, and some installments have been weak on the economic front. However, Volume 15, which is the first of two parts, comes up strong all around, from the emotional tension between Holo and Lawrence to the sea change about to hit the Northlands.

Hasekura-sensei has set us up for certain expectations, and he uses those expectations to take his readers by surprise. For instance, over the last few volumes, our travelers have been hearing rumors that paint the Debau Company as the worst of organizations, ready to war and ruin the Northlands. So Holo and Lawrence head to Lesko as if it’s a march into enemy territory. But instead of a military stronghold, they find an unwalled trading center. Then there’s the tantalizing thread of a mercenary company with Holo’s packmate’s name. I’d expected it to lead to one of two scenarios, but Hasekura sensei delivers a third outcome, which has a profound effect on Holo and offers Lawrence the opportunity to be her emotional support.

The blossoming of Lawrence and Holo’s relationship is the best part of this volume for me. Over the journey, Lawrence has matured and his affections for Holo grown. Holo, on the other hand, invariably teases or scolds the poor merchant. In this volume, however, the circumstances in Lesko make her unusually vulnerable, and all the emotional walls come crashing down. Given past Lawrence’s frustrations with his companion (especially the recent slap in Lenos), this new level of intimacy between the two made my heart skip a beat, and Holo/Lawrence fans will be thrilled to see the two dreaming of a future together.

That dream, however, is not mere fantasy but actual stone and timber reality. This is one of the big surprises of this volume. The contrast between the diabolical rumors swirling around the Debau company and the commercial paradise that is Lesko is an engaging mystery, and Hasekura-sensei manages to connect the mining company’s scheme to Lawrence’s personal dream of going into business for himself. So when Lawrence uncovers Debau’s ultimate motive, it’s a doubly sweet moment for the traveling merchant. While the explanation is somewhat lengthy, it’s not difficult to understand, unlike the narwhal episode in Kerube.

This light novel includes the first four pages of illustrations printed in color, world map, and seven black-and-white illustrations. There are, as usual, lines of dialogue where it is unclear who is speaking as well as a number of misspellings and punctuation errors in the text.

In Summary

With Yoitsu drawing near, Spice and Wolf has a lot of loose ends that need to be addressed, from the Debau Company’s rumored aggression in the north to the mercenary band bearing the name of one of Holo’s comrades. Hasekura-sensei handles it masterfully, captivating our attention with Debau’s outrageous maneuvers and tugging our heartstrings with yet another reminder of Holo’s lost world and the future Lawrence holds out to her. After skillfully wrapping everything up, he concludes with a bomb that leads in to the second part of this arc. This volume of Spice and Wolf is the best I’ve read yet, and I look forward to Part 2 with great anticipation.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #11

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has  a unique bent to it. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released the eleventh volume of the Spice and Wolf manga, and you can read on for the review. (For my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases, click here.)

Back cover blurb

Scheming abounds in Kerube, and the fate of the entire town hangs in the balance! Lawrence has gotten swept up in machinations–again–and this time he’s not even sure which side he’s on. With Holo’s help, he’s going to have to see through the lies to discover the truth of the plans surrounding the narwhal, and if he fails, not only will crucial information about Holo’s homeland slip through his fingers, but the merchant woman Eve could pay the ultimate price!

The Review

The balance of power and money in Kerube is complicated, so much so that Koume-sensei’s diagrams really are necessary to understand what’s going on and who is involved. And of the players, the one whose true intentions are least clear is Eve. However, in Volume 11, Ted Reynolds of the seemingly impoverished Jean Company drops a deal on the table that throws everyone for a loop. Unfortunately, we don’t get a diagram that outlines its full effects, but what is clear is that Kieman holds Eve responsible. As a result, the woman who had been a wolf in the negotiations winds up a damsel in distress.

Lawrence has been on the receiving end of Holo’s help for much of their journey, but this situation gives him the chance to play hero. His goal quickly simplifies to proving Eve’s noninvolvement with Reynolds’s source of funds. It’s then that the coin packing scheme that Col discovered earlier in the arc truly comes into play. What started as a geometric puzzle winds up the key to accounting fraud although I had to read Lawrence’s reasoning twice before I understood it. What is much more straightforward is when he gallantly charges in to take out Eve’s captors.

In the end, Lawrence gets out of a tricky situation unscathed and with both Eve and Kieman indebted to him. The tone of the manga implies that the narwhal negotiations also end happily, but even with a final diagram, it’s unclear whether the transaction changes the balance of power in the Kerube marketplace. Lawrence and Holo, however, obtain the lead on the book they’re investigating and set off for their next destination.

For those familiar with the light novels, Fran and Hughes get the briefest of cameos before the setting shifts to Lenos. To be honest, they don’t have much to do with the manga version, and their appearance seems rather forced. That’s also the case with a rather lengthy scene at the Beast and Fish Tail. As such, the volume closes before the next arc can begin in earnest. However, the creators do leave readers with a tantalizing hook, an unexpected encounter with Elsa from Tereo.

One other thing I noticed about this volume is that the women seem to be a lot more…er, curvier. Holo’s one thing, but when Eve collapses on Lawrence’s bed without her cloak, her chest is so big it seems impossible she could have hidden her gender. And their visit at the Beast and Fish Tail seems more about showing off the barkeep’s ample bosom than anything else.

Extras include the title page in color and closing remarks from the creators.

In Summary

The Kerube arc finally concludes! It’s been a difficult story to follow with so many players and backroom deals. Although Col’s coin mystery fits neatly into the wheelings and dealings, I can’t tell whether the northerners or southerners get ahead at the end. Lawrence and company, however, definitely profit, and they move on to the next arc, which apparently will lead to the manga’s final conflict.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #14

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has released Volume 14 of this series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

Thanks to the silversmith Fran, Lawrence now has a map of the North. But Lawrence’s gladness at the thought of finally being able to take Holo back to her home is short-lived, as upon revisiting Lenos he is embroiled in the strife surrounding a forbidden text. It is said that this mysterious book contains details of methods that threaten the land of Yoitsu itself. But in trying to get his hands on the book, Lawrence, who must return to the marketplace, finds himself running out of time to head for Yoitsu with Holo…Pressed into making a decision he may ultimately come to regret, which option will Lawrence choose?

The Review

If you’ve never read any of the books in the series, this would not be the best volume to start with. If you’ve been traveling with Holo and Lawrence for a while, Volume 14 feels like the beginning of the end of their story. There are numerous references to prior adventures, and it has a retrospective air even as journey’s end draws steadily into view. Most Spice and Wolf arcs have Holo and Lawrence going to a new place and meeting new people. Not only does Volume 14 take place in a location they’ve already visited, but we encounter Elsa, the deaconess of Tereo from Volume 4.

Thanks to Fran, Holo and Lawrence are on the verge of discovering the location of Yoitsu. They go to Lenos, the town where Lawrence got ensnared by Eve, to prepare for the final leg into the north, and Lawrence grows increasingly distraught at the prospect of separating from Holo. With as many twists and turns as they’ve taken, their travels have had the tone of an endless journey, and it seemed that they could stretch out their search for Yoitsu indefinitely. However, that’s not the case, and Lawrence finds himself torn by his responsibility to return to the southern villages by spring and his desire to remain with Holo.

That equation gets more complicated when Elsa’s travel companion, an avaricious bookseller named Le Roi, reveals the existence of a forbidden book of mining techniques, which, if it falls into the wrong hands, could mean the ruin of Holo’s homeland. When he discovers Lawrence has a stake in protecting the north lands, he offers a proposal that would both profit Lawrence and remove the threat to Yoitsu. The catch is that he must cut short his journey with Holo.

The story has constant business elements running throughout, from Lenos’ cash-strapped economy to money orders, but the most compelling aspect of Volume 14 is not the underhanded method Lawrence devises to attain the book but the impetus behind it. Lawrence’s feelings for Holo have been building throughout the series, and his agony over their impending separation is delicious. It gets even better when he discovers a member of Holo’s old pack is probably still alive. Much of Spice and Wolf has been Holo helping Lawrence get out of various scrapes so to see him take the initiative for her sake and succeed in a way that exceeds even her expectations is a delight.

Lawrence doesn’t just take the initiative in the business department. Between Holo’s teasing and her true wolf identity, he’s maintained a respectful distance from her. However, as he’s gotten better at understanding her and her cutting remarks, that distance has been closing, and Holo/Lawrence fans will be gratified with a couple of super warm and fuzzy moments.

This light novel includes the first four pages printed in color, world map, and seven black-and-white illustrations. I should also mention that while the text read more smoothly than other volumes, there are, as usual, lines of dialogue that seem muddled and other places where it is unclear who is speaking.

In Summary

Our travelers are drawing close to Yoitsu, but Lawrence isn’t ready to part from Holo. This arc contains a strong economics aspect with Lenos’ currency crisis and Le Roi’s book plot, but Lawrence’s suppressed desires are what make it really compelling. He may have been a mere traveling merchant before, but his time with Holo has affected him profoundly, in heart and mind, and this volume brilliantly demonstrates how much he’s changed.

First published at the Fandom Post.