The Seven Princes of the Thousand Year Labyrinth, Vol. 1

千年迷宮の七王子 [Sennen Meikyuu no Nana Ouji] #1

by Haruno Atori (Illustrator), Yu Aikawa, Beni Axia Conrad (Translator)

The Seven Princes in the Thousand Year Labyrinth is an all-new fantasy manga series about a group of young men struggling to survive in a mysterious labyrinth full of traps and secrets.

A young man, Ewan Juno, awakens to find himself imprisoned in an unknown place, surrounded by stone walls and seemingly endless corridors. Ewan learns that he is one of a group of individuals, all sent to this strange place—the Thousand Years Labyrinth. Each of them is a candidate to become the country’s next emperor, however only one can claim the crown. If, as a group, they do not decide, the title will fall to the last man standing, and it appears the labyrinth has methods of its own to achieve that end. A series of puzzles, trials, and deadly traps stands between life and death, and appears to mimic an old legend about an emperor and his seven lords—who were all lost in the very same maze.

Will the chosen candidates find a way out or will the labyrinth claim another seven princes in its search for an emperor?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Mystery, Graphic Novels, Josei, Young Adult, Comics

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2015

About the author

花鶏ハルノ

Reviews

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, okay, I'm in love. I know I haven't read that much manga, but Seven Princes of the Thousand Year Labyrinth is, hands down, my favorite. Like, nothing has even come close. It was whimsical, action packed, intense, mysterious, funny, and all around just amazing. Seriously, this deserves all the stars!



The basic premise of this is that the Emperor of the seven lands has passed away, and the seven Lords of those seven lands find themselves trapped in a medieval castle. Inside the castle that was thought just a fantasy, the Lords are met with constant rising water, traps, puzzles, and riddles, that they must figure out or they will lose their lives. Together they must decide who will be the new Emperor.

Upon a few trials and while the group is still just meeting, a body is found of one of the Lords, without anyone having even spoken to them. This quickly spirals the story into a murder mystery where we are trying to find out which of the boys has committed the crime, while also trying to keep the lives they have, while also trying to choose a new Emperor.

All seven of these young men are not just princes of their land, but they are also masters/prodigies of a certain thing:
➽ Laurence Ackroyd - Master of martial arts, unbeaten champion, and my soon to be husband.
➽ Titus Ram - Leader of a band of thieves, has been living in imprisonment.
➽ Messiah Reed - Master Detective, who captured Titus before this adventure.
➽ Zan Audubon - Very beloved singer, who is also blind and never forgets a voice.
➽ Gideon Redfield - Prominent public rights activist, was the front runner for the throne.
➽ Amadeus Frockhert - Student body representative and top mathematics student.
➽ Katherine/August Morgan - From the wealthiest merchant family, also keeper of this mysterious castle, and also harboring a pretty big secret.

There is also a boy trapped in the castle that wasn't a Lord to begin with, just a student who caught the Lord of his land's eye. This is the main protagonist of this volume, and he truly is a little sweetheart:
➽ Ewan Juno - Student from the island, typical normal/ordinary guy.



I couldn't help but find myself completely addicted to which candidates will make it out to still be able to rule the seven lands in this world, and which candidate will rule all those Lords as the new Emperor. This was such a good volume, and I would completely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the video game series Danganronpa.

Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Youtube | Twitch

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting some slight Kyo Kara Maou vibes with this one. The art is nice and the story is interesting, plus it ends at volume 4 and it's so rare to have an actual ending in sight.

Good stuff 👍

[Kate♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5stars

This was just okay... I basically know what’s going to happen from this first volume, and I’m not super hooked. Also MAKE YOUR MANGA GAY OR DONT - IM SICK OF THIS QUEER BAITING SHIT.

[Bilal Taibzada · Rating 4 out of 5]

ahh....

you don't how hard life is for me
i have to get up everyday and wash myself goto school come back and chat on goodreads

but its manga like these that make me want to move on
im taking about gay manga
now most of you guys are just looking at the one word again and again because ur probably havin some problem with ur eyesight(believe me im doing this just to make the review longer)
why?
well i think like that beacuse of tilus and that one girl who is actually a boy(wolf in a sheeps skin)
*looks at the last line again and again and feels like shakes spear then looks at the grammar and laughs at his self*
ah me sweet english
believe it or not my english is the best in my class
so this guy on the cover art(yes hes a guy)
is the main character
his name is......
*forgets name just googled it*
ewan
some how this dude looks as hes gon's age
btw check out my other review bout Hunter x Hunter
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(be sure to like it)

that same guy from the other review:original content mate!!!

so the ending is pretty decent
but i don't like this book because the starting was kinda confusing
(now im sober)

btw guys go like my dudes book
hes the number followed in me country
its called lance valen
check it out
Lance valen

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

Ewan Juno wakes up imprisoned, his life in danger of rising waters with 6 princes whose motives are unclear. This is the Thousand-Year Labyrinth and these 7 princes will determine who will be the country’s next emperor or the puzzles, trials, and traps within will do the whittling for them. One must be left the winner... or all will die trying to beat the deadly labyrinth!

This is a review of volumes 1-2 which I read together back to back. See the plot section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.

The Seven Princes of the Thousand Year Labyrinth vol 1-2 is a fascinating mystery thriller manga set in a fantasy kingdom. It's very light on girls and that is part of its charm. No romance (at least so far) and all intrigue. A position as the new emperor is up for grabs after all... IF they can escape from this death trap of a castle (no windows!) and not be taken out by their competitors. An aspect I really loved was how gun-ho Ewan was to trust everyone right from the start. And #2 that the others weren't all back stabbing idiots. This isn't a version of the Saw, its more a season of Survivor!!

The art is really good... the covers sold me TBH!! I love character focused covers and these are gorgeous... I wish there were 7 volumes so we could get one for each "prince" but alas this is a 4 volume story. While we get the typical close ups and emotion frames the fact we are in this labyrinth like castle is never forgotten. We always get markers that remind us where we are the the current danger that is awaiting our princes. The character designs are INCREDIBLE!! So, so good, so clear and they really give you a sense of the country they are living and fighting for... just through how they look and interact. Considering we are in this castle the entire time, that's a pretty incredible feat.

I love how quickly we meet everyone and really we start off with a bang... there is no languishing volumes but a simple and clear mystery to follow. The puzzles... and the complications also start off quickly and you are totally intrigued!! The tension was so high that I admit I sped through The Seven Princes of the Thousand Year Labyrinth vol 1-2 and then went back and reread them at a more sedate pace. Ewan quickly stands out because of his unusually open and trusting attitude toward everyone. This is done quite expertly as you could find yourself hating Ewan for his naivete, only that doesn't happen... you come to admire him more and more.

The plot is sooooo simple. They wake up in this castle with no windows or means to get to the outdoors and it starts to fill from the basement up! There are puzzles and traps along the way... and of course our princes fall into them and work through them... though NOT without losses! When we get to volume 2 we find out the history of the Thousand Year Labyrinth and learn a couple of the princes motivations for being there. Laurence, Titus and Messiah are my clear favorites but really I love everything that the princes bring to the mystery. The twists and turns make your heart race!! For such a short series I was seriously impressed by The Seven Princes of the Thousand Year Labyrinth vol 1-2 ...

The Seven Princes of the Thousand Year Labyrinth vol 1-2 is a fun thriller mystery set in a Castle full of traps and puzzles so as to be as bad as a labyrinth... add to that princes whose motives are inscrutable and you have the makings of a maddeningly twisty manga! After the cliffhangers in each volume I am DYING to read the final two volumes of this incredible fantasy series.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

Thanks to Diamond Bookshelf and the publisher for providing me with a copy of each in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.


This is a multi-volume series and there may be references to the plot of those volumes... SO READ WITH CARE! Here is my review of 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...

Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on the fence about this one. I mean the art is gorgeous and the premise is interesting , I don't know if it's the pacing or something about the characters but I couldn't get into this volume. The endings cliff hanger was a good way to finish and has me intrigued. I guess I need more character development and then I'll see how I feel about it. But gosh the bishies is strong with this one.

[kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok, this volume was... aight. This series is only 4 volumes so I'm gonna assume it's probably best to consume this story in one fell swoop to get full enjoyment, and I only have the first one rn.

Overall, the art style is STUN.NING. Possibly my favorite art style in any manga I've ever read. TBH it took me right back to my childhood and all the days spent on GaiaOnline. That said, the story still hasn't GRABBED me. IDK if it's the pacing or the plot, or just the fact that it's a quick read, but it feels like something's missing, or perhaps that events are being breezed through, etc. IDK for sure. That's why I think reading all 4 volumes in one fell swoop might be better than just reading one at a time, but idk. Regardless, I think I'm going to go ahead and pick up the rest of the series because I am *intrigued* and totally in love with the art, even if it's probably not my new favorite thing like I was hoping it would be.

[Niina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiinnostava aloitus fantasiasarjaan. Joukko eri taidoistaan tunnettuja nuoria miehiä on suljettu taloon täynnä ansoja ja arvoituksia. Yhdestä heistä tulee seuraava hallitsija ja muista hänen alamaisuudessaan toimivia lordeja. Päähenkilö Ewan on ainoa, joka ei ole kuuluisa. Hän myös laittaa muiden tarpeet omiensa edelle.

[Vendea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zatím spíš průměr, ale alespoň je tam harém chlapců *slintá*

3/5*

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randomly grabbed this from the library with extremely low expectations and to my shock I thoroughly enjoyed it! Love the cast of characters (which were expertly introduced at a perfect pace) and their dynamics. The labyrinth twist to the fantastical locked room mystery setting makes for awesome traps and puzzles. The mystery itself is layered but simple enough to thoroughly engage me, and the lack of background on everyone and everything keeps me constantly guessing. Add to all that the dazzling and handsome artwork and I can't think of a single weakness - this volume completely delivered and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next volume!

[Brigitte Alouqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cela faisait un moment que j’avais repéré cette série à la bibliothèque ou je travaille, je me suis enfin décidée à me lancer. Je trouve les couvertures tellement jolies que je ne pouvais pas résister, et pour tout vous dire, je n’ai même pas lu le résumé du premier tome avant de me lancer !

Ce premier tome est déjà assez intense au niveau de l’intrigue, il y a pas mal d’action et de questions qui se posent. On pense entrevoir une solution au dilemme que vivent nos personnages, mais bien vite, on se rend compte que finalement, nous sommes très loin d’avoir ne serait-ce qu’entraperçu la seule issue possible. On en vient même à se demander qui est qui, qui est franc sur qui il est, qui va finir par faire un truc totalement tordu pour rester dans la courses au trône.

J’ai déjà quelques suppositions, mais je suis certaine que celles-ci vont être mises à mal par la suite, en tout cas, il y a au moins une de mes hypothèse qui s’est révélée totalement fausse. En même temps, je ne suis qu’au premier tome, et je sais déjà que la suite va être mouvementée à bien des niveaux.

Le trait de crayon, eh bien j’en suis fan, il est fin et léger par moment, mais peut se montrer assez dur également lorsque l’émotion se fait ressentir.

Au niveau des personnages, eh bien j’ai bien un préféré, mais là encore, qu’elle sera la suite pour lui, c’est une excellente question. Mais, je peux craindre le pire vu sa position dans ce tome.

Imaginez un peu le dilemme qu’ils vivent : ils se retrouvent enfermés dans un château afin de désigner celui qui montera sur le trône. Mais, il ne peut en rester qu’un ! Les autres le seconderont, mais avouez que la soif de pouvoir dans ces cas là, se fait bien sentir, les instincts de survie se mettent en marche. Après tout, personne n’a dit qu’ils devaient tous sortir vivant de cette aventure !

Je suis quand même curieuse de découvrir qui se cache derrière tout cela, qui a décidé que telle ou telle personne se retrouverait dans la course au trône, … et tellement d’autres questions qui attendent une réponse

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

* 3.5 *
Through most of this manga, I was thinking that this manga was okay. Nothing spectacular. Not really my type of manga. But then the ending came and now I'm excited to read the next volume.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly good story, relying much more on character than on the fact that it's entirely peopled by hot guys. Eye candy AND plot? Definitely looking forward to reading more!

[Patrycja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duże Meh... :/

[fxtiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

XDD

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, because the art is nice. A group of attractive young men find themselves trapped in a booby-trapped old castle in a kind of contest that feels like something from reality TV; one of them will be chosen to be the next emperor, and they must decide whether to compete or cooperate. Characters include the standard naive innocent, street-wise scoundrel, straight-laced swordsman, Sherlock-like detective, beautiful artiste, and so on. Though some interesting angles came up with a couple of characters, the game-show feeling keeps me from taking the story seriously. I will give the next volume a try because of the art quality, to see if the story improves.

[Briony Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did I start reading it?
I went to Liverpool with some friends where there is an awesome shop that does manga on 3 for 2. My boyfriend spotted this one for me, he knows I have a weakness for a white haired anime boy and just look at him. This one is particularly fabulous. I tried to walk away from this manga but I couldn't help myself. 

What is it?
Our anime white haired boy, Ewan, wakes up at what looks like the bottom of a well having no memory as to how he got there. He eventually meets up with a group of men, all famous in some shape or form and all in a similar predicament. They soon realise they are in the thousand year castle in a sick game to find out who among them will be the next emperor. 

What are the characters like?
Design wise they are fabulous. I love the old style aesthetic the manga has going on, the art is wonderful. 
As for the characters themselves, they are all well done. This is a review on purely the first volume but with such a small cast there was plenty of time for each of them to get their personalities across. There is maybe one I couldn't tell you something interesting about. 

Anyone particularly cool?
As stated before this is purely on the first volume so I can;t say much about these characters. Though I find every single one of them interesting in some way. Most of the, except the main character, are famous in some way, One is an Activist, one is a martial artist, one is a bandit leader, one is a detective, one is a rich merchant's heir, one is a singer. The singer is also blind which leads to an interesting perspective on some of the events. 
What is clear quickly is that all of the famous young men are on their guard, projecting an outward persona like they are used to doing with the public. It makes Ewan all the more adorable. He's a country bumpkin from one of the most remote places in the empire. He is trusting and kind, a stark contrast to the others and makes for very interesting dynamics between them.

So what's the bad news?
You know what? I don't have anything to say here really. Other than it's a manga and I wish I had colour because if the covers are anything to go by these pretty men are colour coded. 

And the good news?
This manga really pulled me in with all its mystery. I felt like I did when playing Dangan Ronpa for the first time. I need to know why innocent little Ewan has been thrown into this and I need to now who I can trust because there are people dead and it;s likely one of them did it. I want to trust some of them but at the same time, I could see them stabbing others in the back. I cannot wait to see how this story plays out. 

Would you recommend?
Yes. Most defiantly yes. Wonderful art, An interesting story and if you appreciate it like me, Pretty men. 

[Ady · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Qué maravilla encontrar un tesoro como este!
Un arte hermoso lleno de detalles con un diseño muy bien estudiado para cada personaje, escenario y ambiente.
Pero no sólo eso, la historia es realmente interesante. Una mezcla entre misterio, acertijos y el juego del detective es lo que te mantiene devorando cada página. Realmente me atrapó.
Este primer tomo a pesar de ser una introducción, no tarda en saltar a la acción desde el primer capítulo, no te aburre, y además tiene personajes peculiares y atrayentes.

Dentro de un laberinto, 8 personas se encuentran para descubrir quién será el siguiente Emperador. Todos tienen un talento especial y una manera de brillar única, todos excepto Ewan Juno, aparentemente. Traiciones y uniones se harán presentes mientras intentan sobrevivir a las trampas del laberinto, ¿quién miente? ¿quién está tramando todo? Poco a poco quien creías que podría ser un enemigo va a ser tu mejor amigo.

El único detalle es que las "pruebas" pasan rápido, bastante rápido, por lo que apenas estás pensando en cómo se metieron en eso para darte cuenta que ya lo resolvieron. Es obvio que hay uno que otro cliché por ahí colándose, pero nada que le reste interés a la historia. El final de este primer volumen ayuda mucho a querer saber qué pasará por lo que te engancha.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very picky about my anime and manga; I gravitate towards yaoi and not much else, and while this series isn't explicitly slash, it's implicit enough to have me imagining sooo many ships. XD The characters are all interesting and each has a unique personality. Some of them have histories together, while others are meeting for the first time. There are plenty of slashy jokes (like one guy accusing another of getting pawsy), one character who is an open fanboy of another, and even a cross-dressed character.

This would make such a great anime. The situation is terrifying but there's the occasional comedic relief to lighten the mood. The guys face many dangers in the labyrinth which never let up. I'm a fan of Bizenghast, which had a similar theme, but there were times when it felt the author of Bizenghast forgot the main plot and went on tangents at times. That's not the case here. Every time the men think they can relax, danger strikes, and you really never can tell who is going to be hurt or possibly killed next.

[Charlette · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, the art is beautiful and the character design is interesting. Loaded with husbando material.

Story is okay. It's nothing new or groundbreaking and the pacing is really fast. Like, almost too fast. There's not very much character development and you're supposed to care for the main guy but no reason is really given as to why you should.

Overall, it's enjoyable enough to keep reading the other volumes but so far not an all-time favorite. I think it would be a good anime though.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the better manga I've read in a while. The whole volume had me from the get-go. I love the mixture of adventure, mystery and comedy throughout it all. The characters, I felt, were amazingly introduced and each of them is a character I knew I could love as I read on. The art style is so beautiful and elegant that it just pulled me in. I would highly recommend this manga!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★

I really enjoyed this volume! Nothing amazing or groundbreaking in term of plot, but the art is really nice and I like the character dynamics (especially between Ewan and Laurence!). The mystery aspect is definitely keeping me hooked, and the ending left me wanting to read the next book right away! It’s only four volumes long so it should be a fun, short series!

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun, action packed Josei series. It feels like a fantasy-steampunk version of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie! Who will the new Emperor be? And why are there so many secrets around this selection process.

I love the art, characters, and the plot is intriguing and gripping!

[December Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling read. The introduction to the characters was fascinating and compelling. There was little profanity and all in all the content was very clean, which can be difficult to find these days. I should say there was a dead body though 😅
I am extremely happy to have added this to my collection! Really the start to a wonderful series.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this volume. I couldn't get enough of this. It was so much of an adventure reading this. When I read something I can see it playing like a movie in my head so reading the manga was so much cooler then I though. I'd love to see an anime of this.

[beya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters are effortlessly erotic for no reason at all hahahaha

That said, I do enjoy them all. Wonderful art too! There's some pretty cool and speculative imagery in some of its panels. As for the story, I can't say I like where it's going yet but I do find it intriguing.

[Meah Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Meh. The characters seemed interesting for the most part but it all felt rushed and thrown together. The characters got along too quickly, then also turned on each other too quickly, and the mysterious elements werent drawn out much. Probably wont continue. 🤷‍♀️

[Kookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je l’ai emprunté par pur hasard à la bibliothèque et je sais pas trop quoi en penser… j’aime bien l’idée d’un château qui met à l’épreuve tout le monde à l’intérieur mais… je sais pas. Peut être lire le tome 2 pour me faire une idée de la saga, voir si je continue ou pas….

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute guys in fantasy-inspired garments running around a mysterious palace and solving riddles...
There's is absolutely nothing about this that I didn't like.

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique