#jnovelclub — Public Fediverse posts

#JNovelClub Announces Eleven New Series in Digital, Five Series Coming to Print http://dlvr.it/TV7QJZ

J-Novel Club Reveals 16 Light Novel and Manga Releases, Including Chivalry of a Failed Knight Hardcovers

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://noisypixel.net/j-novel-club-anime-nyc-2026-licenses-print-releases/

J-Novel Club Refreshes Manga and Light Novel Subscription Plans Following Reader Feedback

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://noisypixel.net/j-novel-club-subscription-plans-refresh/

#JNovelClub Unveils Extensive Subscription Service Refresh Based on Reader Feedback http://dlvr.it/TV4B98

#JNovelClub Announces New #Manga, Light Novels, & Print Projects At #AnimeExpo 2026 http://dlvr.it/TTLbkl

#JNovelClub Announces ‘The #ApothecaryDiaries’ #Audiobook http://dlvr.it/TRss1p

#JNovelClub Announces Thirteen New Series and Six Coming to Print at February 2026 Livestream http://dlvr.it/TQxm8C

#Review: #ReformingAnIcyFinalBoss: Getting Back at the Self-Proclaimed Villainess with the Power of Friendship Vol. 1 (#IcyBoss)

#LightNovel by #Takamedou
English Pub: #JNovelClub (1-9): (7 Entertaining)
#Fantasy #Isakai (sort of)

Angelina Grey—the self-proclaimed villainess—is isekaied into her favorite otome. But despite her beliefs, she is not the person the world revolves around. Milly Asteara, the ‘Icy Final Boss’ is.

IcyBoss is reminiscent of “My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!” (Hamafura). Milly, an intelligent, powerful magic user, and total social baka, discovers the power of friendship. Like Katrina Klaus (Bakarina), she has powerful charisma, which hinders her from becoming the badass delinquent villainess she dreams of. But that’s okay as she gathers her flock of friends and locks horns with Angelian Grey.

This was a lot of fun to read. It missed a higher score due to some moments where I was knocked out of the story by interactions that didn’t ring true, as well as the shallow portrayal of Angelina.

Volume 2 is already streaming in prepubs, and I can’t wait for all the chapters to be available.

Volume 1 is free for J-Novel Club members until 26/02/16
Volume 2 is free for J-Novel Club members until 26/04/15
Digital release: 26/01/11 & 26/03/17

(This review is based on the digital pre-publication version.)

Link to “Reforming an Icy Final Boss:” J-Novel Club

#NMReview #AmReading #bookstodon #Books

#Review: #CogsOfTime Vol. 1

#LightNovel by #LauraMDrake
English Pub: #JNovelClub (1-9): (6 Good)
#Steampunk #Mystery #TimeTravel

Kyra Annandale can Slip through time. It’s an ability her father forbids her to use. But even an obedient girl like Kyra can’t resist, especially when it helps keep the memory of her mother alive. Then on the eve of her wedding…

I was looking forward to this ever since it was announced. It was a good read, but not up to what I had built up in my mind. Sigh, attachments only bring misery.

I am not well-read in the steampunk genre and can only compare it to "Princess Principal." So, take a little salt with the soup.

"The steampunk flavoring... As Alice said "There were certainly too many cogs in that soup!" In other words, it was overdone. It's like being at a steampunk convention. Everything is decorated with cogs and gears. Anything that could be steam-powered is. Anyone want a steam-powered toaster?

The plot was also predictable. I won't spoil it in case you're not Sherlock Holmes like me.

There is potential here. It's the kind of book that could lead to a great ongoing series, especially once the author is no longer compelled to show us that it's steampunk.

Volume 1 is free for J-Novel Club members until
January, 15th 2026. Digital release: December, 18th 2025.

(This review is based on the digital pre-publication version.)

Link to “Cogs of Time:” J-Novel Club

#NMReviews

Con la tercer novela ligera de The Apothecary Diaries se empieza a narrar lo que se vió en la primera tanda de capítulos de la segunda temporada del anime, por supuesto, con mayor detalle. Quería terminar la cuarta novela antes de finalizar el 2025, pero no podrá ser. Aparece la otra Maomao, nos presentan a Shisui y una caravana de comerciantes, con emisarias extranjeras y un extraño capricho, llega a palacio.

⭐⭐⭐

ICYMI: Crunchyroll Manga Acquires J-Novel Club Titles https://popgeeks.com/crunchyroll-manga-acquires-j-novel-club-titles/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Crunchyroll #Manga #JNovelClub #Anime #DigitalManga

Crunchyroll Manga Acquires J-Novel Club Titles https://popgeeks.com/crunchyroll-manga-acquires-j-novel-club-titles/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Crunchyroll #Manga #Anime #JNovelClub #DigitalComics

J-Novel Club Brings Dozens of New Series to Crunchyroll Manga; Alongside Additions From AlphaPolis and COMPASS

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://noisypixel.net/crunchyroll-manga-new-series-j-novel-club-alphapolis-compass/

#Review: Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden Vol. 8 (#NiaListon)

#LightNovel by #UmikazeMinamino
English Pub: #JNovelClub Rating (1-9): (7 Worth following)
#Isakai #Fantasy #MarialArts

Volume 8 concludes the martial arts tournament arc. I have never been a fan of tournament fiction with its blow-by-blow descriptions of combat moves or game mechanics. That said, I found this volume to be passable. The combat scenes are varied and brief. There is enjoyable background action taking place. I had some guesses about who the winners were, but I wasn't completely sure until the end. Finally, the previous seven volumes had built up my investment in the characters and outcomes. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Nia Liston's quirky first-person narrative remains interesting. Her naïveté and egotism are still interesting, even if some of the stock lines are getting threadbare.

Hints of future plot lines are sprinkled throughout, showing that the author has thought about where to take things next. The volume ends with a surprising and interesting twist. Sorry, no spoilers here!

Volume 8 is free to read for members of J-Novel Club until 12/17/25. Digital release: 1/15/26

(This review is based on the digital pre-publication version.)

Link to NiaListon: j-novel.club

#AmReading #bookstodon #NMReview #NiaListonTheMercilessMaiden

#LightNovel #JNovelClub

Finishing up vol. 4 of Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools. It's above average but not exceptional. I just realized why parts of the story seemed so familiar. It's by the same author and takes place in the same universe as Lucia Loom. Dahlia is a much better series than Lucia, which had too little plot and too much clothing/fashion porn.

New series: Miss Blossom’s Backward Beauty Standards There's only about a 50% chance that I will read the next volume. It's shallow and gimmicky, with embedded body shaming and gender stereotyping. It's listed as a comedy. As a general rule, I don't get comics, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

New series: The Fearsome Witch Teaches in Another World. Above average. It's very "Mr. Chips" meets "Harry Potter." The plot premise is novel. Fortunately, there is no shallow wish-fulfilling romance. However, it lacks suspense. The MC rights all wrongs with the power of her righteousness (and being OP, so no one can reprimand her). The side characters are shallow. We will see where it goes. It might pick up.

I finished volume 4 of Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would Be Monsters! The first two volumes do a wonderful job of handling the mystery of a new world for an isakied character POV. There is no background info dumping; you learn about the world alongside the character. Now we have to see how the author deals with an OP character and the "deep mystery" that is being hinted at.

The last one is worth a try.

#Review #AmReading
@vollink

#Review: This Gyaru’s Got a Thing for...Vampire Hunters?! Vol. 2 (#GyuVam)

#LightNovel by #WasanKurata
English Pub: #JNovelClub
Rating (1-9): (8 Worth following)
#CGDCT #UrbanFantasy

There are many reasons why I shouldn't give this a high rating, but the truth is that I was glued to both volumes by the second chapter. Reviews are subjective, and this one is based on my reaction.

At its heart, GyaVam is a CGDCT (Cute Girls Doing Cute Things). Yes, there are battles and supernatural events, but readers looking for those elements will be disappointed. This volume is about Ruka (gyaru) taking Ginku (vampire-hunter) shopping for swimsuits, and then Ruka and her friends going to the beach. Ruka uses the power of Gyaru and Friendship to convince the antagonists to change their ways.

One of this book's charms is that I haven't read many light novels like it. And I read a lot of female protag light novels. Even if there were, I would find the writing reasonable and charming.

Is it yuri? It's about the relationship between women, which is romance-adjacent. The yuri subtext is strong, but it seems unlikely that it will drift into full-scale romance territory. Either that, or we're on the track of a very slow-burn yuri.

In summary, it's a pleasant, light read for escapism. If you like slice-of-life or CGDCT, it's worth reading the first three chapters, at least. Don't give up at first. It takes a while for the charm to win you over. At least it did for me.

Volume 2 is free to read for members of J-Novel Club until 12/15/25.
Digital release: 11/20/25

Link to GyuVam:

#AmReading #bookstodon #Yuri #NMReview #ThisGyarusGotAThingForVampireHunters?!

#JNovelClub

With the announced J-Novel Club releases, the following were added to my sample list.

• Cogs of Time (Novel)
• Even Exiled, She’s Still the Beloved Saint! St. Evelyn’s Weird and Wonderful Friends (Novel)
• The Petty Villain Plays by the Rules: Rewriting This Otome Game with Honest Work!
• Reforming an Icy Final Boss: Getting Back at the Self-Proclaimed Villainess with the Power of Friendship
• The Villainess Speaks Not

#LightNovel

#JNovelClub Reveals J-Novel Club New York Comic Con 2025 Announcements http://dlvr.it/TNcrQ0

#Review This Gyaru’s Got a Thing for...Vampire Hunters?!
#LightNovel by #WasanKurata
English Publication #JNovelClub
Genre #Yuri #UrbanFantasy

A nice light story about #Gyaru who meets a former #Vampire Hunter. Only the vampire threat isn't finished. If you want heavy, dark, serious, this isn't for you. Nor if you like your vampires sexy dreamboats.

Instead, it is good escapist lit. Easy reading. Realism light without being too cliché. As for the Yuri, it's in the heavy subtext mode.

An 8 on my rating scale. (0-9) Something I look forward to, but not the best of class.

Free to read until 10/15/25
Digital release 9/21

Novel at

#amreading #bookstodon #bookreview

Looks like a book day. Started a #Yuri #UrbanFantasy. "This Gyaru's Got a Thing for... Vampire Hunters!?"

This is right up my alley and well written.

Currently in prepub free reading through #JNovelClub
JNovelClub

#amreading #bookstodon #vampires #LightNovel

Finished The Troubles of Miss Nicola the Exorcist. It was a nice romance/adventure with supernatural mixed in. I knew most of the folklore used Korobako (Child Stealing Box), Lost house, etc. Didn't know the story about the painting of a dead bride with a fictitious husband.

It got a little "maiden" mushy at the end. It was clearly written for a young woman. I am not fond of some of the embedded assumptions that go with that, like even strong, competent women need and want a man to protect them. But the rest of the story made up for it. #JNovelClub #LightNovel #Review

Si después del anime planean leer las novelas de The Apothecary Diaries y se preguntan por dónde empezar, la respuesta es obvia: Desde el principio (eso vale para cualquier otra adaptación y su fuente original). Empezar justo donde termina el anime te priva de un montón de trasfondo y detalles que siempre quedan fuera cuando un texto se traduce al medio audiovisual.

Me gusta más como se narra en la novela la parte de las rosas azules, alterando la temporalidad en que se cuenta la acción, en el anime lo vemos en orden estrictamente cronológico. Hacia el final se cuenta la historia de Fengxian y Lakan (con detalles que no se encuentran en la animación), lloré de nuevo.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm so unhealthily obsessed with The Apothecary Diaries. I caught up with the manga and loved it so much. I just needed to know what happens next that I plowed through volume 4 to 15 of the light novels... And I rarely ever read novels!!

Poor Maomao is too lovable and competent that she can't catch a break!

#theapothecarydiaries #JNovelClub #KusuriyaNoHitorigoto #lightnovel #Maomao #fanart

#JNovelClub Announces Thirteen New Series at Anime Expo 2025 Industry Panel http://dlvr.it/TMfbZV

The Apothecary Diaries 1

Después de ver las dos temporadas de The Apothecary Diaries me quedé con ganas de más, así que empecé a leer las novelas ligeras.

The Apothecary Diaries 1

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 1

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Natsu Hyūga, Touko Shino
J-Novel Club
250 páginas
Thriller, Fantasía
ISBN13: 9781718361188

In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there. Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort… so she can taste the lady’s food for poison! At her lady’s side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?

Como había comentado anteriormente, no me quedaba del todo claro lo que era una «novela ligera» y mi cabeza lo interpretaba como otro nombre para la novela ilustrada de siempre, con antecedentes como los penny dreadful o los pulps… no iba desencamiando. Después de la lectura imagino que lo de «ligera» viene por la sencillez con la que ha sido escrita1, es cierto que en ocasiones hay algún término relacionado con la medicina que se introduce en el texto pero la fluidez y el lenguaje en general son sencillos.

La extensión tampoco es larga, 250 páginas que de tener tiempo libre se podrían leer en una sentada, como por ahora mi tiempo libre es un bien escaso, la lectura me ha tomado poco menos de una semana. He leído la traducción al inglés pero supongo que la fluidez viene heredada de la versión original, al no ser mi idioma nativo, leer en inglés me toma un esfuerzo extra pero en esta ocasión casi ni lo sentí. Como referencia, cada temporada del anime cubre la extensión de dos novelas.

No encontré mucho sobre la autora pues entre que «Natsu Hyūga» es el nombre de un personaje de Naruto y que la autora de The Apothecary Diaries aparece dentro de una botarga en sus apariciones públicas Natsu Hyūga resulta ser (obviamente) un pseudónimo, siguiendo el mismo camino de Yukinobu Tatsu (DanDaDan) y otros autores y autoras que a lo largo de la Historia y por diversas razones prefieren ocultar su identidad. Eso sí, he visto un video sobre la creación del anime y su voz es la misma que imagino para Maomao, al parecer no soy el único que piensa lo mismo.

La edición digital publicada por J-Novel Club intercala 8 ilustraciones a blanco y negro en el texto, junto a otras 4 a color al final (elaboradas por Touko Shino), junto con anotaciones sobre el proceso que se llevó a cabo con la traducción. Parte de ese contenido se encuentra solo en la edición que se consigue directamente en ese sitio, lo cual me parece buena estrategia para asegurar la fidelidad de los usuarios.

No puedo decir mucho de la historia si ya vieron el anime o leído alguna de las dos adaptaciones en manga (la de Minoji Kurata y la de Nekokurage), salvo la obviedad de que a la hora de traducir de palabras a imágenes la primera siempre tendrá más información sobre los personjes y el desarrollo de la historia, esta lectura me ha ayudado a entender mejor las personalidades y reacciones de personajes como Jinshi, Gaoshun, Ah-Duo y otros.

A pesar del anime no he tenido problema en hacerme una imagen mental de algunos personajes y la acción se ha ido armando en mi cabeza conforme leía el texto, falta ver cual será mi experiencia una vez que haya pasado el tomo 4 que es el que cubre hasta el final de la segunda temporada de la animación. Mi sorpresa ha llegado al buscar la opinión sobre esta primera entrega por internet. Hay gente que opina que esta historia en particular resulta difícil de leer, que prefieren el manga porque ahí pueden ver con claridad las expresiones físicas de los personajes, p-pero, para eso es la imaginación… ¿no?

1. Destaco esto como una virtud, no como defecto. ↩︎

Here you go, Maomao of #TheApothecaryDiaries is back for an 8-part serial. With crossover from another fav. #JNovelClub #LightNovel series #TearmoonEmpire.

@asakiyume
@yon @bytebro

#WritersCoffeeClub 2025.05.07 — Show off a bit of text describing a meal.

This one is from: The Norns ノルン

Snip
“Mmm...” Mai murmured, savoring the rabbit stew the Norns had offered. “So warm, so rich. The wild sage is a pleasant touch,” she enthused over the stew, not noticing the three women hadn’t gotten a bowl for themselves.

The mushrooms were bitter, but they had soaked up the broth and were palatable. Spoonful after spoonful of stew daintily entered Mai’s mouth. “Mum, so yummy,” Mai said around one of those spoonfuls.

Pieces of rabbit and mushroom swam around the bowl, inviting her to dig in. Her spoon took a longggg dive toward the food. It was such an odd spoon. The handle must have been a foot longggg with a ssmiling face.
End Snip

https://www.pixiv.net/novel/series/14017710

#FanFiction #TearmoonEmpire
#NMWCC #NMPrompts #PIXIV
#Anime #Manga #LightNovel #Fantasy #Mushrooms #psychedelic #Food
#ティアムーン帝国 #JNovelClub

#JNovelClub Announces Fourteen New Series at Anime Expo 2025 Industry Panel http://dlvr.it/TLk5F8

#wss366 6/23 #TimeTravelAuthors Alternate History aspects [Note 1]
#FanFiction #TearmoonEmpire

**** The Norns ****
*** Chapter 4: The Book of Fate ***

“Mmm...” Mai murmured, savoring the rabbit stew the Norns had offered. “So warm, so rich. The wild sage is a pleasant touch,” she enthused over the stew, not noticing the three women hadn’t gotten a bowl for themselves.

The mushrooms were bitter, but they had soaked up the broth and were palatable. Spoonful after spoonful of stew daintily entered Mai’s mouth. “Mum, so yummy,” Mai said around one of those spoonfuls.

Pieces of rabbit and mushroom swam around the bowl, inviting her to dig in. Her spoon took a longggg dive toward the food. It was such an odd spoon. The handle must have been a foot longggg with a ssmiling face.

“Better to reach the fooood,” Mai thought. “Why are you dddoddggging,” Mai thought as the pieces swam away from her sssspoooon. “At last,” she thought, only to have a piece of rabbitttt jjjjump offff her spppooooon.

She looked up at the women to see if they had noticed. Their faces shifted in the firelight. Wwwaving like llllillies in a field. Swwweeeet lllilliees, blessessed by the sunnn.

“Ddddoes itttt ttttast gooood,” Ver… The mature one said? The voice came from very far away.

“I woveeee the Mushhhhrrrrrooom threaaad innto your weeeave… your weeeave… weeeave… eve.”

Like the #pound of surf in a tide worn cave.

Mai didn’t feel good. Her stomach twisted into a knot. Rabbits danced in big, heaping jumps. Mushrooms danced in her head.

The three mushrooooommmm ladies in gray hoooooddddds, smiled. Their lips twisted like the knots in her stomachhhhh…

“Lady Mai. My lady,” it was Anne’s voice issuing from the forest.

“Anneeeee, Anne,” she cried back. “Come, try the steeewww.”

“My lady, Belle is here to see you.” Anne’s voice held a touch of command and cut through Mai’s visions.

Mai opened her eyes. In her lap was the book of fate. She had been reading it because she couldn’t go out for a ride today. The page was open to show a picture of mushrooms with white freckles on their red caps dancing in a circle.

Mai was glad she had read the book. She had learned one important lesson. Never trust women in gray hoods, even if they make the tastiest rabbit stew.

She closed the book and moved on to plan her day. One of her first tasks would be asking the cook if they had any of those red mushrooms.

<Part4 of 4 - #Serial Conclution>

[Note 1] For this one, yes. As a result of reading the book, Mai will avoid eating that batch of poisonous mushrooms. The Norns also referred to several other time-altering events, not that I wrote those.–For my silly ones, not so far.

#microfiction #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMTTA
#Anime #Manga #LightNovel #Fantasy #Mushrooms #psychedelic
#ティアムーン帝国 #JNovelClub

#wss366 6/22 #TimeTravelAuthors
#FanFiction #TearmoonEmpire

**** The Norns ****
*** Chapter 3: The Norns ***

“Urðr, the grumpy, old one,” Mai repeated, then gave up. “Too hard. ‘Uror’ will have to do. Verðandi, the overworked, mature one, I’ll call her Ver. And Skuld, my young guide.”

“I am Mai Tearmoon.” Mai did her best to curtsy in her bulky, wet riding outfit. It steamed in the fire’s warmth. Mai worried it might burst into flames if the fuzzy wool got too hot. She pictured herself bursting like a dandelion head into a puff of fire.

“I am pleased to meet you,” she said, backing away from the fire.

“Worry not,” Ver said.

“Ver, the mature one,” Mai repeated.

“I hold no thread of flame.” Ver #produce(d) a red thread lightly mottled with white, as if to prove her point.

Her words made no sense. “Maybe she’s touched. Weird.”

“Is the stew ready?” Skuld, the youngest, said. “Our guest is hungry, and I see it is the thread you currently hold, sister.”

“Weirdness isn’t exclusive to Ver. The three wyrd sisters, but she’s right. I’m hungry.”

Mai might’ve figured out who her hosts were, if her sugar-starved brain hadn’t gone to sleep hours ago, dreaming of tea cakes and Equestria milk.—Forget that. Mai would never have guessed she was among the three Norns.

“Almost,” Ver said. “The mushrooms are bitter if they don’t cook enough. You must carefully weave fate’s garments.”

“My sister is meticulous. She likes things just one way. While I like wide-open opportunity,” Skuld said.

“I like things that do not change,” Uror said.

Mai whispered to herself, “Uror, the old crabby one.”

“It’s ready,” Ver said, reaching for a bowl.

“At last,” Mai thought while her stomach loudly proclaimed its agreement.

(Part 3 of a #Serial in 4 parts. To be continued.)

#microfiction #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMTTA
#Anime #Manga #LightNovel #Fantasy
#ティアムーン帝国 #JNovelClub

#wss366 #TimeTravelAuthors 06/21
#FanFiction #TearmoonEmpire

**** The Norns ****
*** Chapter 2: Rabbit Stew ***

“I wouldn’t.”

Mai jumped at the voice, and her hand halted as she reached for an inviting spray of crimson berries.

“Those are baneberries. It is not your fate to die by those.” The voice was that of a woman. A moth-gray hood shrouded her face, so one had to guess her age. Mai thought she sounded young, a foreigner.

“Yes, I knew that. I was just going to study them,” Mai said, dropping the berries she had picked.

“Come, you may eat with us,” the woman said, leaving.

“It isn’t wise or #safe to go with people you don’t know.” Mai could almost hear Four-eye’s voice. “But she did stop me from eating something that would disagree with me,” she reasoned silently. “She has to be a good person. Besides, I’m hungry,” she muttered the last part so the illusionary Ludwig, AKA Four-eyes, couldn’t hear.

The woman led them through the woods to a clearing under an enormous tree. Two more women, hidden under gray hoods and cloaks, sat before a blazing fire. The warm scent of…

“Rabbit stew!” Mai exclaimed. “My favorite!”

“Who have you brought?” the woman stirring a pot asked. Her voice gave no hint of her age.

“The future of Tearmoon,” Mai’s guide said.

“Perhaps,” the third complained, in a voice that creaked with age. “She, by all rights, should be the past of Tearmoon. If you had not removed the thread of rebellion or the Serpent’s thread in the village.”

“You make much work for us,” the middle woman said, looking at Mai. Under the shadowy hood, Mai saw a mature woman’s face. “Weaving, unweaving, and weaving again. Even now, I foresee we shall have to redo the warp and weave yet again.”

Mai couldn’t tell if the woman was complaining or commenting, but she didn’t worry over it long as she watched the woman add savory herbs and bright red mushrooms with white freckles on their caps to the stew. Her mouth watered. “Rabbit stew with mushrooms!”

“You must pardon my sisters,” her guide said, dishing herself a bowl of stew from the pot’s side without mushrooms. “This is my sister, Urðr.” She gestured toward the older woman. “And this is Verðandi,” she pointed to the middle woman. “I am Skuld.”

(Part 2 of a #Serial in four parts. To be continued.)

#microfiction #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMTTA #Anime #Manga #LightNovel #Fantasy
#ティアムーン帝国 #JNovelClub

#wss366 06/20 #TimeTravelAuthors
#FanFiction #TearmoonEmpire

The Norns
Chapter 1: The Rainy Season

The rain lashed Mai Tearmoon, soaking through the fluffy riding outfit Anne made her wear. Her horse, spooked by a thunderclap, disappeared around the edge of the forest ahead.

“To think a horse would betray me! What if the rebel army were chasing us?” Mai demanded of the wet grass. Not that any rebels were chasing her—this time. In her previous life, however, things had ended poorly: prison, a guillotine, one very final thud. Anne, her loyal maid, and Ludwig, that obnoxious Four-Eyes, were among her few good memories.

Determined not to repeat that unpleasant ending, she had resolved, among other things, to learn horseback riding. It was time well spent. She was a master of the jellyfish style. Hang tight, be with the horse’s rhythm, and let it make all the decisions. That counted as progress, didn’t it?

Yes, in this timeline, she had avoided the revolution, prepared for the famine, and headed off numerous plots by the Serpents. Still, she couldn’t forget those last moments, the squeal of the blade descending, the sharp sting, and the sight of people spinning as her head rolled by. No amount of time traveling or reality switching could cure the trauma of that moment.

After a furtive glance to confirm no rogue guillotines were giving chase, she rose, dusted herself off, and limped toward the sheltering trees.

“If only I had listened to Anne. She warned me it was the rainy #season,” Mai muttered. But it had been so sunny, and the clouds so far on the horizon. It had just been too good a day not to go riding.

Another thunderclap sounded, and Mai dashed under the trees. “Good thing Anne is not here. She would be so scared.” Mai’s voice shook slightly, but that must have been because of the fall. Simple thunder would never frighten the future ruler of Tearmoon! Yes, of course, it was Anne she was worried about, not herself. How silly to think otherwise.

Once under the trees, the princess gracefully shook off the water dripping from her clothes. No one would ever say she looked like a Saint Bernard shaking itself, not even an elegant papillon. Heaven forbid a shih tzu should come to mind.

The trees kept the worst of the rain off the princess, but her clothes were heavy with cold water. “I suppose they will come looking for me when I miss tea.” The thought cheered her, but also reminded her she was hungry.

“Good thing I've been studying foraging,” she thought. If occasionally asking friends about the edibility of plants on walks counted as studying, she had done plenty of it. Usually, the answer was that they had no idea. Why would young nobles know such things? They also inevitably hustled Mai away before she ate it, especially if the plant in question was a mushroom.

“There is no help for it,” she thought and began looking for likely nuts, berries, or fungus.

#microfiction #NMPrompts #NMV366 #Anime #Manga #LightNovel #Fantasy #JNovelClub

#ScribesAndMakers 6/9 Talk about the least read book from 6/8.

Otherside Picnic by Miysawa Lori

Sorawo, a student of “true” supernatural stories, discovers a door into a new realm where she can finally be alone. Only to become prey to one of its inhabitants, the Kunekune. Rescued by the beautiful Toriko, the two become partners in exploring this land.

Inspired by the Russian novel “Roadside Picnic,” this is a lovely story of two women finding love as they face a string of fantastic creatures of Japanese internet fame. It is a wonderful blend of yuri, science fiction, and horror-adjacent adventure.

https://j-novel.club/series/otherside-picnic

#NMSAM #NMPrompts #Yuri #SciFi #LightNovel #JNovelClub #UraPi #OthersidePicnic

Review: The Apothecary Diaries # 14 (Prepub version)
A Light Novel by Natsu Hyuuga
English Pub: J Novel Club Japan: Square Enix
Rating (1-9): 9 (S-Class)

This is one of the light novel series I closely follow. The story of an apothecary with a taste for self-inflicted poisoning and a myopic obsession with her profession.

AND after 15 volumes, it is still a favorite.

Maomoa, the MC, is still charming and quirky. And in this volume, she solves 3 mysteries and turns the tables on Jinshi, no longer pursued but pursuing.

And Chue, the sinister clown, is back in full color. With a promise of more to come. A delightful character.

If you want details on the series, you can read my review of volume 12. https://sakurajima.moe/@NaraMoore/113166037740646137

https://j-novel.club/series/the-apothecary-diaries
Review based on pre-pub version available until 25/06/16
Digital release 25/05/29

#TheApothecaryDiaries #薬屋のひとりごと #LightNovel #JNovelClub #Review #NatsuHyuuga #SquareEnix #NMReview #Mystery #ChineseCourt

#WordWeavers 9 What was the last book you’ve read? Was there anything there you wanted to apply to your writing?

"Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would Be Monsters!" vol. 1

The author does a masterful job of out information slowly, and at the same time not leaving me mystified. Zero info dumps. I am envious of the skill.

This is not the quality I expected from something with such a cringeworthy title.

#NMWW #NMPrompts #LightNovel #JNovelClub

#Review: Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would Be Monsters! v.1

#LightNovel #Kaya
English Pub: #JNovelClub
Rating (1-9): 7 (Worth following)

#Isekai #Fantasy

A surprisingly good, though shallow book. Let’s start with the first thing that pops into my head. It’s an isekai, bad start. But that trope mainly serves for characterization and background. We will have to see where her powers take her, but so far, coming from Japan hasn’t helped her much. Next, I said it was shallow. True, but many entertaining books are shallow; the characters are charming, the world-building is interesting, and background information is doled out slowly and naturally. As an author, I noted how the author has avoided an info dump and slowly dished out information. You’re never left scratching your head, but like the MC, you say, “Hum, I wonder why that is.”

The MC, Sara, has strong powers and could become overpowered as the series continues. Currently, that isn’t a problem. Seven volumes are available in English, and another is in translation. It will be interesting to see if the author can keep superpowers from overwhelming the story’s charm. Given how they handled the gradual introduction of information, I am hopeful.

There is no romance so far, A+ in my book, but possibly some yuri subtext, most likely of the onee-sama type. The story mixes slice-of-life and light adventure, leaning toward the former. Sara doesn’t aspire to be a Hunter (adventurer); instead, she has an eye on alchemy. Will the universe force her into her expected niche, dungeon crawling?

Summary: A pleasant light read for escapism. If the author maintains its light tone, it will stay on my read-as-available list.

Volumes 1-7 are free to read for members of J-Novel Club until 5/31/25. Volume 8 is currently in pre-pub and is free to read until 8/15/25.

https://j-novel.club/series/taking-my-reincarnation-one-step-at-a-time

#AmReading @bookstodon #NMReview

#Review: Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower v.1

#LightNovel #MiriMikawa
English Pub: #JNovelClub
Rating (1-9) 6 (Good)
#Romance #Fantasy AU Chinese Royal Court

Rimi has one skill and one place in the world - Cooking. Sent as a tribute to the royal court on the mainland, she needs to find a new place.

Reminiscent of “The Apothecary Diaries" CCCF is a charming if slightly clumsily handled tale of a woman finding her place and love in the back palace of an AU Chinese Royal Court. The characters are pleasant even if their relationships contrived. (Who insults the Emperor and lives?) It is a good read for anyone who likes series like “The Apothecary Diaries” or “My Perfect Marriage.” Not of the same quality but still worthwhile.

The art, on the other hand, is outstanding. Beautifully rendered with lovely detail. I am sure they pull my estimate of the series up a full point.

The series is complete at 11 volumes and currently free to read for members of J-Novel Club.

https://j-novel.club/series/culinary-chronicles-of-the-court-flower

#AmReading @bookstodon #NMReview

#Review: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
#LightNovel Satatoru Yamaguchi
English Pub: #JNovelClub
Rating (1-9) 6 (Good)

Like most long series, this one is uneven with the first few volumes being the best. (13 volumes released in English and 14 in prepubs.) It’s a well-used plot Katarina Claes suddenly remembers her prior life and realizes she is the villainess in an otome. The first few volumes are excellent with a good dose of blatant subtext yuri. When Katarina (Bakarina) survives all the game’s death flags, winning the hearts of all the characters on the way, the author loses focus on what made the series good to begin with. I almost gave up on it. Then the author picks up the tone again, and the series regains its footing. Bakarina, through charisma, luck, and lots of friends: surviving adventures, surmounting death flags, and all the while remains clueless. Yuri, unfortunately, becomes a faint echo of the beginning.

https://j-novel.club/series/my-next-life-as-a-villainess-all-routes-lead-to-doom

#MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom #Bakarina #SatatoruYamaguchi #Fantasy #NMReview

#Review: Dimension Wave Vol. 1

#LightNovel by Aneko Yusagi

English Pub: #JNovelClub

Rating (1-9) 5 (Okay)

A gamified fantasy. Kizuna enters a Virtual MMO where he plans to spend his time on the side game of fishing. Joined by two quirky fellow players, they set off to cross the sea.

Before going on, I will confess that this isn’t a genre I normally read. So take my review with a grain of salt. The writing is acceptable. The characters are interesting and not overpowered. They comprise a fishing specialist, an HP-draining Ninja, a fan-wielding frontline fighter, and an inarticulate shipwright specialist. The frequent display of player stats is better than others of this genre I have attempted, but I could have done with less. The MC is tricked into cross-gender play, which is needlessly intrusive since the author does nothing with it, except allow creating an all-female party. It’s a needless gimmick that I doubt will satisfy people who enjoy gender-bending novels.

The novel isn’t something I would pay for, but as a J-Novel Club member, I can read the prepubs for free, which helps space out more interesting items and spares me from buying other light novels.

Review based on PrePub version available until:24/12/16

Digital release 24/11/20

Volume 2 is currently streaming as well.

https://j-novel.club/series/dimension-wave

#DimensionWave #AnekoYusagi #GenderBending #Fantasy

#BookReview

#Review: The Legendary Witch Is Reborn as an Oppressed Princess Vol. 2
#LightNovel by Touko Amekawa
English Pub: #JNovelClub
My rating (1-9) 7 (As cute as ever)

A political marriage for Claudia? She doesn’t feel like it. A curse in another kingdom? That needs looking into. Vol. 2 is as good as the first., and Claudia is as cute as ever.

The author’s note indicates that a manga version is in the offing. This series should make for an excellent manga.

Review based on PrePub version available until:25/01/15

Digital release 24/l2/11

https://j-novel.club/series/the-legendary-witch-is-reborn-as-an-oppressed-princess#volume-2

#TheLegendaryWitchIsRebornAsAnOppressedPrincess #ToukoAmekawa #BookReview

#Review “Management of a Novice Alchemist” vol. 3 (PrePub version)
Light Novel by Mizuho Itsuki
English Publication J-Novel Club / Digital release 24/11/26.

This is the most recent release ofMoaNA. My review is based on the pre-publication version available to J-Novel Club members.

A greedy merchant and corrupt noble set out to trap Iris into a political marriage. Sarasa won’t stand for that, provided she earns a profit. (A worker is worth their wages.) I think this brings us up to where the anime ended, but as I said in my general review, there is much more to the story than shows up in the anime.

After reading several mediocre to poor series recently, the quality of this one stands out. I look forward to the next volume, which starts prepub streaming later this month.

Free streaming for members ends 24/12/16 so you have plenty of time to read the prior volumes and read this one for free.

#ManagementOfANoviceAlchemist #LightNovel #JNovelClub #MizuhoItsuki #CGDCT #BookReview

#Review “Management of a Novice Alchemist”
Light Novel by Mizuho Itsuki
English Publication J-Novel Club

Sarasa, a novice alchemist, sets out to live her life and build an alchemist practice in the rural countryside. She is a good-hearted woman who makes many friends and helps them, and the village where she settles, to solve their problems and some of them are dozes, like an attack of a herd of frenzied Flame Grizzlies.

MoaNA is a light-hearted slice of life/CGDCT (cute girls doing cute things) series set in a fantasy world. Generally, I am not fond of books with over-powered characters, but since the plot revolves around the characters and their life, not their fantasy escalated, it works out just fine. There are several f/f relationships and you can read whatever sub-text you want into them.

It’s a delightful read for troubled times and contains a satisfying sub-theme of good people overcoming greedy aristocrats and conniving merchants.

The writing and translation are good, and if you like CGDCT it’s worth reading. The anime of the same name only scratches the surface of the story. On my personal 9 pt. scale, I rate it a 7, which puts it in the closely followed category.

#ManagementOfANoviceAlchemist #LightNovel #JNovelClub #MizuhoItsuki #CGDCT #BookReview