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Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1 (Spice & Wolf #1)

by Isuna Hasekura, Juu Ayakura (Illustrator), Paul Starr (Translator)

4.19 · Rating Details · 2,573 Ratings · 151 Reviews

The life of a traveling merchant is a lonely one, a fact with which Kraft Lawrence is well acquainted. Wandering from town to town with just his horse, cart, and whatever wares have come his way, the peddler has pretty well settled into his routine-that is, until the night Lawrence finds a wolf goddess asleep in his cart. Taking the form of a fetching girl with wolf ears a ...more

Paperback, Novel, 234 pages

Published December 15th 2009 by Yen On (first published February 10th 2006)

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Dec 04, 2012 the golden witch. rated it really liked it

Shelves: light-novels, own, magical-reality, old-timey, faepunk, fantasy, ebook, wolves, own-finished-copy, 2012

Review to come!

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Apr 07, 2010 Sarah Hayes rated it really liked it

Shelves: manga-lns-misc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Review originally posted at Dangerously Cold Tea

As someone who loves the anime Spice and Wolf - so much that it was on my top ten list of anime from the past decade - I had high expectations for the source material. I was also very curious to see if there were any major changes from the transition from the written word to animation cel. What I found was a book that was complimented greatly by its anime version but also rose above it with its surprising moments of depth and detail.

The story cente Review originally posted at Dangerously Cold Tea

As someone who loves the anime Spice and Wolf - so much that it was on my top ten list of anime from the past decade - I had high expectations for the source material. I was also very curious to see if there were any major changes from the transition from the written word to animation cel. What I found was a book that was complimented greatly by its anime version but also rose above it with its surprising moments of depth and detail.

The story centers around Lawrence Kraft the merchant and his companion Horor the Wise Wolf of the North. Their first book of travels has them locking horns with a merchant company looking to con the naive Lawrence out of a profit with promises of a moneymaking scheme surrounding a drop in silver purity in Trenni coins. When Lawrence realizes the thing is a scam, he reaches out to another company for help, but in the process Horo is kidnapped and held as ransom because of her being the goddess of the harvest and therefore an abomination against the Holy Church. Storywise, where can you go wrong? You've got elements of supernatural and dramatic action, not to mention a very interesting lesson on macro and microeconomics.

Lawrence is the audience's guide to the world within the series, a clearly old time European-based society in which the Church's word is law and merchants can make or break the market. His lectures to Horo on things like silver purity in coins and bartering with a company that is situated in multiple towns is not only educational for her but for the audience. It is understanding these lectures that will make the story more enjoyable for the audience; you can't understand what is going on unless you understand how the coin system works. Lawrence is also the straight man to Horo's magnificently magical self; his reactions to her hijinks and wolf tendencies reflect the audience's reactions to seeing Horo do what she does. Lawrence is the Everyman who never expected to be paired up with a harvest god, someone who would never expect to be swindled until it almost happens. He's not naive so much as he is rather easy to trust, experienced but wanting to believe that all people are inherently good despite the efforts of those like Zheren to teach him otherwise.

And then there is the character of Horo, parts haughty and demanding, lonely and afraid, feral and angry. As the self-proclaimed Wise Wolf of the series, she often spouts off little wise sayings at Lawrence, using her clever ways learned from living hundreds of years around merchants and farmers to help Lawrence in his trade - there is no better example than the scene in which Horo's crafty methods help to sell some furs at a higher price than Lawrence thought he'd sell for. But she is also vulnerable despite the front she puts up at times: she is enraged that Lawrence does not personally lead the charge to save her and feels embarrassed. Horo is not ashamed of her wolf nature, but when she transforms, she often asks Lawrence to look away: she wants Lawrence to see her as a human not an animal; she does not want Lawrence to be afraid of her and run away like so many other humans did before.

That is what's so interesting about the relationship between Lawrence and Horo: they both depend on each other, even if they'd be loathe to admit it aloud. Lawrence depends on Horo for her quick thinking and to keep him company during his travel - not to mention the contract between them that he take Horo to her homelands in the north. Horo depends on Lawrence for keeping her grounded and amusing her, as well as being her transport, buying her food and clothes (there's a running tab, though) and keeping her around with the pouch of grain. There is also an undeniable attraction between the two of them; they dance around it with their actions and words, but for better or for worse Holo and Lawrence are connected by this attraction, wherever it may take them. Remember, Horo is a demon and a sinful thing in the eyes of the Church, whose influence could very well see to it that Lawrence loses his job due to his connections with the wolf girl. The fact that he puts his own life on the line for someone he barely knows and takes up space in his wagon says that he cares for her, despite their occasional back and forth sniping on the most trivial things like apples and wine.

Comparing the light novel to the anime, some changes and irregularities do pop up. Yarei, for example, is a character in the novel who is from Pasloe Village and is a good friend of Lawrence through his comings and goings through the small town. He is replaced in the anime by Chloe, a young woman who sees Lawrence as her mentor and has a crush on him. The anime added an unnecessary romantic subplot for some reason; I would not be surprised if the herder later on in the anime does not exist in the novel or her attraction to Lawrence not as prominent in the original text. There is also the fact that actually taking the time to sit down and read the material makes Lawrence's lessons on microeconomics make more sense; in fact, a lot of things that happen in the anime are explained a lot better in the novel, especially the end of the silver purity arc. That's not to say the light novel is anyway superior to the anime; they both have ways in which they are better than the other, but one version does not completely overshadow the other. People interested in the story should check both of them out as they greatly compliment each other - in fact, I would say that seeing the anime beforehand greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the original novel.

All in all, this is a great introduction to the world of Horo and Lawrence and an entertaining mix of humor and excitement not to mention some great pages of art that highlight the more important scenes in the story. Spice and Wolf is the kind of light novel if you are just getting interested in the world of anime and manga and need a sort of stepping stone between reading prose and reading manga. I'd also recommend it to any fan of fantasy books that are both fun and educational. ...more

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Apr 13, 2010 Ulagon rated it really liked it

Amazing what happens when you're flipping through channels looking for something to watch and your significant other says, "Stop!" So, I stopped and saw this woman with animal ears and rolled my eyes. "It's a catgirl. Please, let me find something else." And after being shushed I listened to the dialogue and sat through the remainder of the episode in pure disbelief. The first chance I had I bought the first season. We watched through all thirteen episodes in two days. "Then" I discover it's bas ...more

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Jul 23, 2010 V rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, fiction

Very, very sweet book I'd recommend to any manga fan. Another plus is that it makes economics fairly easy to understand and doesn't overcomplicate matters. Even an idiot could eventually understand the way the exchange rate works in this series. Holo may seem bratty and imperious, but she's a great character otherwise, plus, she's not going to be humble, being a god of the harvest and all. Lawrence is genuinely sweet and one of the more realistic characters. :)

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Aug 08, 2010 Kevin rated it really liked it

This is a must read if your interested in an old European concept of trade and merchants.

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Jul 03, 2011 Wendy White rated it it was ok

--Addition, July 4th 2011--
I just got a comment from the translator! Wow!

Just like to amend my original review below - I criticised the "show, not tell" writing style and wasn't sure if it was the translator trying to faithfully reproduce the writing style or whether it was something lost in translation.

Paul, the translator, filled me in: Hasekura's writing style really is just that long-winded. This was my first "light novel" so I think I was expecting more than really that genre is intended to ...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Chibineko rated it really liked it

I've been hearing a lot about this series, mostly from people who are saying that the series deserves more attention than it is currently getting. After reading through the first light novel, I can agree that Spice & Wolf deserves more attention than it currently gets & is sure to become very popular. I also want to let people know that even though this is NOT a manga, it is worth purchasing.

This first volume of Spice & Wolf begins with the traveling merchant Lawrence slowly approach I've been hearing a lot about this series, mostly from people who are saying that the series deserves more attention than it is currently getting. After reading through the first light novel, I can agree that Spice & Wolf deserves more attention than it currently gets & is sure to become very popular. I also want to let people know that even though this is NOT a manga, it is worth purchasing.

This first volume of Spice & Wolf begins with the traveling merchant Lawrence slowly approaching a small town rumored to worship pagan gods- if the local churches are to be believed. Once there, Lawrence is quickly sent on his way after he secures a bundle of wheat for sale. The town is in the middle of a festival where they worship their local deity (Holo the wolf god) in hopes of securing a good harvest next season- outsiders aren't welcome during this time. Stopping to rest for the night, Lawrence discovers a beautiful young girl resting in his cart- a girl with wolf ears & a tail to match, a girl who calls herself Holo!

While this is a very cute & interesting story, I do have to say that the translation of the source material felt a little flat. This can sometimes happen when something is directly translated & not slightly adapted for the different slang/speech of other cultures. It is a better translation than some of the other books out there, so readers shouldn't be too disappointed.

Possibly as a result of the translation, the story was a little slow to capture me entirely but as the story progressed & I saw more of the interactions between Holo & Lawrence & got hooked. An interesting point of interest to the story is that while the story is entertaining, it is pretty informative when it comes to trading & bargaining. Much of the story's plot surrounds Lawrence attempting to perform his chosen profession & Holo assisting him with the wisdom she's gained through living such a long life. To some this might sound dull & to some it will be a little dull, but the relationship between Holo & Lawrence as well as the beautiful illustrations will keep them entertained enough to keep reading.

I also have to give credit to the writers that he didn't turn Holo into an idiot, brat, weepy girl, or fanservice character. She's a bit arrogant, but that should be expected with a supernatural creature like her. She's not only intelligent, but she is realistic. I've heard that her personality here is slightly different from the manga, so if you are someone that has read the manga & gotten irritated at her portrayal, you'll like this book.

Would I recommend this to anyone interested in the series? I would- it is an interesting read & I'm intrigued to see what will come next in the series. ...more

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Dec 15, 2010 Marty Preslar rated it it was amazing

A well written story with compelling characters. I would also suggest the anime version, which is very true to the book, with the exception of one character that is changed (for the better, in my opinion...)

The real strength of this story is the realistic development of the relationship between the two protagonists, despite the fact that one of them is a "harvest goddess" with ears and a tail. This isn't one of your standard "magical girlfriend" stories where the characters are in love from the ...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Megan Lavey-Heaton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: light-novel, favorites

Who would think that a series centered around economics would be appealing? Craft Lawrence is a traveling merchant in the Middle Ages in a land that is controlled by the Church and has done its best to squelch the pagan gods that were once worshipped. However, Lawrence comes face-to-face with one of these gods in the form of Horo - a wolf-god who just wants to return to her true home. The series features a fantastic chemistry between its leads and is very intelligent. It's not a quick read despi ...more

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Nov 09, 2014 Selena rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-must-reads, favorites, light-novels, magic, japan-stuff, humor, jnln-bc

I have to say, this was an amazing book. I'd heard that the book was better than the anime and manga renditions, so rather than check those out, I read this instead. Let me tell you, it was worth it.

The book's a light novel that follows the story of Lawrence and Holo. Simple as that.

Holo is epic, my favorite character. She's tough, clever, and strong. Lawrence was pretty good too, but I definitely like the "Wolf" in Spice and Wolf.

It was neither too long nor too short, the perfect length.

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Oct 07, 2016 Mandy Sickle rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, fantasy, first-in-series, fiction, favorites, rd-reviews, ebooks, male-lead, magic, new2you-author, shifters, supernatural, ya-fantasy, manga, read-2016

Spice & Wolf is the story of Lawrence a merchant heading through town during a wheat festival that picks up a stranger along the way with wolf ears and tail. She says that she is the ancient wheat goddess who’s decided that she wants to travel up north. Falling for her charm Lawrence agrees’s to let her tag along little did he know that the wolf girl is more than she appears and may just be assets if she doesn’t get him in trouble.

I like Lawrence he’s a good guy who quickly accepts that Hor ...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Lois Bujold rated it liked it

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1, by Isuna Hasekura (2006), English translation 2009 by Paul Starr

So...

Having, upon rec, seen and rather enjoyed the anime adaptation of this, I was a bit frustrated by Netflix not having Season 2. I checked the Hennepin County Library, and found they had a scattering of the manga adaptations, plus this translation of the original Japanese light novel upon which both were based. I'd been hearing for a while about the "light novel"... format, form, I'm not sure which, in J Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1, by Isuna Hasekura (2006), English translation 2009 by Paul Starr

So...

Having, upon rec, seen and rather enjoyed the anime adaptation of this, I was a bit frustrated by Netflix not having Season 2. I checked the Hennepin County Library, and found they had a scattering of the manga adaptations, plus this translation of the original Japanese light novel upon which both were based. I'd been hearing for a while about the "light novel"... format, form, I'm not sure which, in Japanese publishing, so decided to check this one out, by way of a sample.

Set-up: a traveling merchant in a generic medieval Europeanoid world picks up, inadvertently, a traveling companion; a recently unemployed wheat harvest spirit or minor god named Holo, who appears (usually) in the form of a pretty adolescent girl, but with wolf ears and a tail. They go on down the road to further adventures q.s. In several ways, this is a variant of the very popular "magical girl" trope found in anime and manga, but the changes wrung are nice.

My read may suffer, certainly in freshness, from having seen the anime first. The book read like a synopsis of the first episodes of the anime -- which means that either the visual adapters were really meticulous, or that the translator was doing a bit of a novelization of the screenplay -- though I am guessing the former. Or that the original writer was so steeped in the structures of anime, the story just fell out of his brain in the pre-adapted form.

It has some of that slightly surreal mix of European research and Japanese assumptions I encountered to a high pitch in the anime The Chevalier d'Eon. Spice & Wolf gets a lot of its charm, however, from not being about swordsmen with perpetual status emergencies requiring two fight scenes per episode (while the story stops), but rather, a merchant at work in a well-realized background of realistic trading. The main plot thread in the opening section involves some rather arcane currency trading scams.

In length and style, it felt very like a YA or "chapter book" (a technical term-of-art in children's publishing with some very specific parameters; chapter books are aimed at the next-younger reading audience than YA.) With a sample of one, I don't know if that makes "light novels" the Japanese equivalent of the YA genre or not. The illustrations also made it feel younger-YA. The prose seemed a bit flat, but moved along briskly. Well-proof-read, though, kudos to someone.

I recommend the anime; the novel (or novel translation) I'm not willing to make a judgement upon, due to my current lack of background.

Ta, L.
...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Alicia Wright rated it it was amazing

You may have come across Spice and Wolf as an anime or a manga... both of which are awesome. I first saw it as an anime and that was what hooked me.

Now then. The novel?

I was disappointed when I first started reading the novel... It started out like any other 'guy finds magical pixie girl in bed' type anime. And the way it was written at first... just for a page or so... was 'Hey, look how pretty and cute and adorable she is!!'. I hate that. I hate being TOLD the character is pretty or cute or w You may have come across Spice and Wolf as an anime or a manga... both of which are awesome. I first saw it as an anime and that was what hooked me.

Now then. The novel?

I was disappointed when I first started reading the novel... It started out like any other 'guy finds magical pixie girl in bed' type anime. And the way it was written at first... just for a page or so... was 'Hey, look how pretty and cute and adorable she is!!'. I hate that. I hate being TOLD the character is pretty or cute or whatever. Okay so, we are looking through the eyes of Lawrence for this, and if he thinks she looks adorable, then he thinks that. But it still irks me. BUT. It only lasted maybe half a page or so, and then it went back to being AWESOME.

See, the book is about Lawrence, a travelling merchant, agreeing to take wolf-god Holo back to her homeland in the far North. Lawrence is a merchant, and so the story is based very much so on the trials of being such a merchant, including such things as stock devaluing and market crashes... the two of them must also avoid the attentions of the church, who would burn the both of them at the stake if they were caught, since Holo is a pagan god. It really is quite a complicated and well woven, tight plot. I find myself having to re-read and re-understand the complicated ploys the two of them use in their business dealings every time I re-watch or re-read it... it's not SO compliacted that you won't understand, but you may well have to run it through your head a time or two to let it sink in. And I like that. I LOVE that.
Lawrence is old enough at 25 to be rather clever, instead of being some precocious teenager. It lends an element of realism to the whole thing. He's still inexperienced enough to be able to learn new things, and stumble over certain aspects of social interaction... of course, it doesn't help that his 'opponent' is Holo, who has 'lived more years than the hairs on her tail'. Holo has her flaws too, and they tend to stem from an insecurity and loneliness she has ended up enduring for many years.

The relationship between them develops and changes slowly, and it feels realistic to me. They're interesting to watch at is were, and their growing trust and reliance on one another is something that keeps my interest. And that's only a minor point besides the the complicated economics, politics and other things going on.

I really don't think I can praise it enough, and I look forward to reading all the other novels! There are so far only 6 translated into English, but I actually have all 14 in Japanese.. hehe.

If I had anything bad to say, it would be that the translation could be a teensy bit better. I think the translation was done by someone who isn't used to writing literature, is all. But only a bit, I didn't constantly feel like I was reading a translation, the feeling just cropped up now and then. ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-star, light-novels, read-2011, ya, format-print, acquired-library

This light novel and the ones that come after it inspired the anime, but I saw the anime first. I had actually heard about this book long before I saw the anime, mainly because of the controversy over the cover. The cover image you see in my blog is not the cover the original Japanese version of this book had, and, from what I can remember, it was extremely difficult to get the version of the cover with the original artwork. I remember assuming that the cover re-design was an attempt by Yen Pres ...more

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Mar 05, 2015 Mike rated it really liked it

Shelves: starters-prose, light-novels

Kraft Lawrence is a clever traveling merchant traveling a medieval countryside hoping to earn enough to realize his dream of owning his own shop. His life gets significantly more complicated when he inadvertently gives a wolf goddess a lift away from the village she's been watching over for centuries. Wanting to go back to the land of her birth, Holo vows to help Lawrence in his trades in exchange for traveling with him.

At the center of Spice and Wolf is a well developed journey with compelling ...more

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Sep 24, 2013 Steven Phan rated it it was amazing

Characters: 5/5
I really enjoy the characters of Spice and Wolf, especially because of the small cast. You have a merchant, his apprentice, and a WOLF GODDESS. The cast seems to be fairly realistic, but corny at times with it's clever antics and wordplay. This is due to the old wording style of the novel with lines such as, "All, be they human or animal, look on my form and give way with awe, and treat me as special. I have tired of this treatment"(Hasekura 29). The characters grew on me staying Characters: 5/5
I really enjoy the characters of Spice and Wolf, especially because of the small cast. You have a merchant, his apprentice, and a WOLF GODDESS. The cast seems to be fairly realistic, but corny at times with it's clever antics and wordplay. This is due to the old wording style of the novel with lines such as, "All, be they human or animal, look on my form and give way with awe, and treat me as special. I have tired of this treatment"(Hasekura 29). The characters grew on me staying themselves no matter the situation. Lawrence, the merchant, acts like his usual self saying things such as, "How... how much do you think the clothes you destroyed cost?...I don't care if you're a god or not...I'll see you pay me back!"(Hasekura 214) throughout the novel. There are strong leads, male and female.

Setting: 4/5
The story is reliant upon the particular setting, taking place in the time period where merchants still rode around from town to town in wagons. The author does not make very many time skips and proceeds to give the plot a smooth direction. Being the setting that it is, it limits the unexpected possibilities of things that may happen throughout. The end of one chapter will be continued in the next chapter, so nothing will happen to change where the character is or what they're doing. "I imagine the the farmers you watched over for so many centuries were mindful of time"(Hasekura 65). Though it has similar settings compared to others that could fit, the fact that there is a wolf goddess makes this particular setting unique.

Plot: 5/5
Being the first novel of Hasekura's series, it spends a lot of the novel introducing and showing off the characters instead of the immediate plot. Though it starts off later in the chapters, by using the characters as a build up the plot, it was that much more enjoyable for the surprising end. The plot in a nutshell is that the merchant, Lawrence, comes across a wolf goddess, Holo, who convinces him to allow her to follow him in his adventures. "She sounded like an old friend asking a simple favor"(Hasekura 38). This is so she can reach her hometown that she has not been to in centuries (literally). It follows a plot line that goes until the end of the first volume, and then ties it up with an epilogue.

Theme: 4/5
The title is a reference to goods, merchant's goods. Though it has it's plot and settings, this book really focuses on two things, Lawrence and Holo. Their relationship grows after the main plot kicks into gear. Hasekura sends a message that tells us that we can find or lose relationships in unexpected places. "Hey, you there. What are you playing at, sleeping in someone's cart?"(Hasekura 19). This is how Lawrence meets Holo; she was sleeping in his cart.

My Opinion: Overall a 4.5/5
Personally, I really enjoyed this book. It has a relaxing tone in the text and makes me not care about anything else when I do read it. It has an odd mix of genres that Hasekura combines amazingly. You don't usually find a book that combines romance with heavy economics and politics. I would recommend this to a friend that is patient and wont be scared when given a little about politics and economics. It can be a little confusing, but to get more enjoyment out of this book, you'll need to understand at least a little bit of the contents to know what is going on. ...more

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Jul 07, 2016 Mary rated it liked it

Shelves: yes-interacial-relationships, deadhonest, own, demons, great-heroine, adorable-romance, girl-powa, religious, adorable, cute, deep-stuff, friendship, social-class, forbidden-love, gender-roles, economics, church, light-novel

"Though he might travel the world and amass a great fortune, the one thing Lawrence could never have was right here."

Light novels sold in the US are predominately cheap, smutty fanfiction filled with underage girls sold to a predominately male audience. As such, it's very difficult for myself to care for them when I honestly want something with more substance.

Thankfully, Spice & Wolf caters beautifully to readers who want more than your average "fanservice" big boobed anime girls and tsunder ...more

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Dec 16, 2014 Kole Ravenscroft rated it it was amazing

Spice and Wolf by Isuna Hasekura is a great book. I loved watching the show; so I knew what was going to happen. I usually don't like to read about games of tv shows due to the books get boring and really in depth compared to the fast paced action. But this book didn't bore me to death. It was like watching it all over again.

The book follows a traveling merchant called Kraft Lawrence. He has been a traveling merchant for about seven years now; being a traveling merchant is a lonely occupation. H
Spice and Wolf by Isuna Hasekura is a great book. I loved watching the show; so I knew what was going to happen. I usually don't like to read about games of tv shows due to the books get boring and really in depth compared to the fast paced action. But this book didn't bore me to death. It was like watching it all over again.

The book follows a traveling merchant called Kraft Lawrence. He has been a traveling merchant for about seven years now; being a traveling merchant is a lonely occupation. He often hears stories from other merchants that their horses will turn into people. So they often say to by a mare but he doesn't follow their warnings a buys a sturdy steed to pull his wagon. When he comes from a mountain village to a village called Pasloe; they are preparing to start their annual harvest festival. Where the last wheat stalk cut has the wheat goddess, Holo the wise wolf in it. If you cut to greedily though she will escape but to little and you wont catch her. The last person to cut the wheat stalk is a man called Yarei. The person Lawrence wants to talk to, but the ritual states that the person who cuts the last stalk will be locked up in a barn during the whole festival which lasts a week. Lawrence decides to leave the village and parks his wagon at a nearby tree by a river. He feeds his horse some water and food while preparing to get ready for bed. When he sees the furs in his wagon rustle; he unsheathes a silver dagger and rips off the fur. He is stunned when he sees a sleeping girl in his wagon. Lawrence yells several times at the sleeping girl to wake up. She wakes up and stands; giving a powerful wolf howl into the night sky.

Kraft Lawrence has been a traveling merchant for about seven years. He became a traveling merchant when he was 18 and is now 25. One of the most notable things about his external appearance is that his hair and nicely trimmed goatee are of a whitish to a silver color. He is a very skilled merchant and plans to open a shop when he gets enough money.

Holo is the wise wolf of yoitsu. She has red brown hair; a tail and ears of a wolf. She is very wise and smart but is a gluten. She can transform into a wolf with either eating wheat or drinking blood. When she is a wolf she can easily beat 20 armed men and run faster than anything. She has been in the village of Pasloe for as many years that are hairs on her tail. She was able to jump from the wheat that was cut in Pasloe to the wheat that was bigger in Lawrences cart. Her goal is to make it back to her hometown of Yoitsu.

This took place when the church was fighting the pagans. The church was very strong and almost as strong if not even stronger than the king of a country. If the church wanted to they could easily get a king kicked out of a country. The church would burn people to death if the church believed them to be a heretic or possessed by the devil. If the church would find out about Holo she and lawrence would be burned on a stake. That is how the two got into a bit of trouble in the the of Pazzio. The town of Pazzio is a big town with shipyard and a lot of merchants. They get caught up in this big scandal and end up having to stay in this town for quite a while.

The main themes of this book are romance and adventure. You follow Lawrence and Holo on their journey to the north. On the way Lawrence is slowly drawn in by her charms and the lack of ever meeting women.

I recommend this book for high schoolers and up. Mostly because there are some words younger people might not understand fully. Both genders will love this book though and will make you want to get the rest of the series.
...more

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Dec 03, 2014 Antonio rated it it was amazing

I have a new obsession and a new ship, enough said.

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Jan 17, 2015 Alman1234 rated it it was amazing

Wow...I'm stunned by how great I anticipate the entire series to be. It wasn't my hate for books that inspired me to read this, no not that at all, rather my love for the anime Spice and Wolf which didn't have enough content for my liking. Silly how I'm now bent on reading the entire series before finishing my Senior year in high school. On to the book though. This is the story of Kraft Lawrence and Holo, the wise wolf. Kraft being the lonely merchant that he is has never really had any connecti ...more

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Jan 19, 2015 Nathanael Chan rated it it was amazing

This book is one of my personal favorite. when i first picked up this book i thought that it would be a normal romance story, but i was wrong it had more to it. unlike other romance genre books this one had adventures and and a unique setting to the overall plot. The setting took place in the around the mid century where peddler and traveling merchant exist. The story resolves around a traveling merchant named Laurence and a wolf spirit named Holo. What makes the story good and worth reading is ...more

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Jun 06, 2015 Brandon Varnell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: light-novels

For original review, go here: http://pokemaster12.blogspot.com/2015...

I've been meaning to write this review for a while and have finally decided to set my butt down and write this out.

This review is for volume 1 of what is one of the more illustrious Japanese light novels to have hit the American market. Translated by Yen Press, Spice & Wolf is the story of a traveling merchant who picks up a companion in Holo the Wise Wolf, god of the harvest. Having read the first novel, I can say with al For original review, go here: http://pokemaster12.blogspot.com/2015...

I've been meaning to write this review for a while and have finally decided to set my butt down and write this out.

This review is for volume 1 of what is one of the more illustrious Japanese light novels to have hit the American market. Translated by Yen Press, Spice & Wolf is the story of a traveling merchant who picks up a companion in Holo the Wise Wolf, god of the harvest. Having read the first novel, I can say with all certainty that Spice & Wolf is definitely one of my favorite light novels currently being translated.

I believe what I enjoyed most about this story was how it focused more on the interactions between the mercurial Holo and the more steadfast Lawrence. The dynamic byplay between them is quite clever, and I absolutely enjoy reading about them bantering back and forth. Lawrence, despite all his worldly knowledge from traveling the world as a merchant is constantly struggling to keep up with Holo's cleverness in their playful battle of wits.

One of the underlying aspects of this story is the struggling loneliness that both of the main characters feel. Holo, as a seven-hundred year old immortal wolf god, has been alone for a long time. Lawrence lives the life of a traveling merchant, constantly moving, never staying in one place for very long. Both have, up until this point, lacked the companionship they so desire, and it becomes clear as the story progresses that they're beginning to find that companionship in each other.

Hasekura's writing style is also very easy to follow. It's smooth and easy to read. He never gets bogged down by descriptions, but has a sufficient amount that I'm not wondering about the setting. Above and beyond that, he never forgets that his characters and their interactions are the driving point in his story, as opposed to the events that are being portrayed.

I must also give my congratulations to Yen Press for successfully translating this novel. The translation is smooth and devoid of the many idioms and slang choices that populate Japanese light novels far too often. Throughout the read, I only found one grammatical error where they used "it" twice in a row. Considering this is 230 pages long and they are translating it, I can forgive this small issue as it didn't detract from the story at all. Overall, this is an excellent introduction into what looks like an engaging read. ...more

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Jan 06, 2016 Addy rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fans of the anime, people new to light novels

Shelves: ya, 4-stars, ya-fantasy, ya-historical, i-own, light-novels

Wow! I'm actually really impressed by this book, especially in the translation. It was quite good! It might even make it onto my 'almost-favorite' list. This is far far one of the best books I've read in quite a few months.

The plot: The background of this book is very interesting, and completely different from other YA books I've read. (I know this isn't actual YA, since it comes from Japan, but it's marketed 15 and up and has that some kind of tone.) There were parts that had me on the edge of ...more

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May 21, 2015 Jonas rated it it was ok

Shelves: ebook, ln

Holo is one of my all time favourite characters from anime (I saw both season from this series long before reading the light novel). Still, reading it instead of seeing the two main characters interact, made it much more repetitive. There is very little character development. Their banter is always the same: Holo oscillates between meek and bold, Lawrence acts accordingly. I'm not sure if the anime hid this better, or if my expectations are higher in this regard for written works. The writing st ...more

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Aug 08, 2015 Kenchiin rated it really liked it

Shelves: light-novel

Nice start.

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Jan 01, 2016 Rebecca McNutt rated it liked it

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, fantasy, adventure, fiction

This wasn't the best graphic novel I've ever read, but the way it frames a fantasy story using anime art is one that really makes the book stand out.

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Mar 01, 2016 Gage Jarman rated it it was amazing

A better love story than twilight

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May 24, 2016 Negar rated it really liked it

Shelves: liked, fantasy, saw-the-film, historical-fiction

خوندن مانگاش آنلاین رسما شکنجه بود :|
فکر کنم مانند همیشه، انیمه رو بیشتر از مانگا می دوستیدم...
+ کلا خاصیت مانگا و انیمه همینه. هر کتابی از فیلمش بهتره مگر اینکه مانگا باشه :|

+ به داستان، به شخصیت ها، به هورو و لارنس شخصاً پنج میدم. همه چی خیلی اورجینال و خوبه. خیلی "کاوایی" ـه، به قول خودشون :دی داستان هم حرف نداره. یعنی فک کنین یه انیمه در مورد بازرگانی و اقتصاد!
+لارنس خیلی پخته تر از پسرهای معمولی دبیرستایی انیمه هاست. سنی ازش گذشته ( حالا نه در اون حد ها! بیست و خورده ایه احتمالا ... ) و همی ...more

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Jul 28, 2016 Melanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: shifters, read-in-2016, romance, fantasy, manga-and-light-novels

“I'll always remember that you chose me.”

Lawrence is a traveling merchant that is very trusted throughout the land, even though that land is very heavily controlled by the church, who will do anything to make sure the gods from the past are no longer worshiped. This doesn't affect Lawrence what-so-ever, until he finds one of these old gods sleeping in his wagon cart after a Pagan harvest festival.

The adorable god he finds is Horo, a wolf god! She can shift between forms, even though it's no ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Paige rated it really liked it

I thought this was an amazing manga and wished I could read the other volumes. When I picked it pick from the book store I wasn't really sure what to expect but I got instantly hooked and go sighed it within a day.

The story is very good and all the characters are perfectly exaggerated.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Japanese Novel an...: Spice & Wolf Book 1	39	42	May 26, 2015 11:37AM
Goodreads Librari...: Merge two books or delete	2	23	Oct 20, 2014 11:02AM
Border line porn or just good anime entertainment?	9	40	Jul 21, 2014 10:13AM
Anime Fans: Book of the month!	1	8	Sep 17, 2013 07:46AM

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“All men burn with foolish jealousy, but women are fools to take delight in it. This world is full of fools no matter where you look.” — 27 likes

“While one may lose much because of avarice, nothing was ever accomplished by abstinence.” — 20 likes

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