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Slayers Collector's Edition
Slayers Volumes 1-3 Collector's Edition
The Light Novel Classic is Back in Print! Contains Volumes 1-3!
Beautiful and brilliant sorcerer girls just can't have nice things, huh? All I wanted to do was swipe a little bit of bandit treasure. Now suddenly I'm being chased around by icky trolls, nasty demons, mean mummies, and brooding golem bad boys. Wait, what?! No! This sounds like work! Great, and now we've got demons stalking us and spike-shooting wolves pouring in through the windows! Guess I'll have to clean up this mess before I get my R&R... I'll show them there's a reason you don't cross Lina Inverse...
Beautiful and brilliant sorcerer girls just can't have nice things, huh? All I wanted to do was swipe a little bit of bandit treasure. Now suddenly I'm being chased around by icky trolls, nasty demons, mean mummies, and brooding golem bad boys. Wait, what?! No! This sounds like work! Great, and now we've got demons stalking us and spike-shooting wolves pouring in through the windows! Guess I'll have to clean up this mess before I get my R&R... I'll show them there's a reason you don't cross Lina Inverse...
398 pages, Hardcover
Published July 20, 2021
18 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Hajime Kanzaka
183 books66 followersHajime Kanzaka (神坂一) is a Japanese novelist and manga writer.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 17, 2021
It was very exciting to get this high quality edition of the English translation of the first three novels. In addition to the new translation, which is more accurate than the previous one, this hardcover addition is beautiful, with a silky smooth cover and full color illustrations. It seems as though Slayers is finally getting the star treatment it deserves!
I have read and re-read these novels over and over again, and the story is still fun and fresh and I pick up new nuances and insights with each read. This is a definite must have for every fan, even if you have the previous TokyoPop release, it is worth investing the money for this superior J-Novel release.
I have read and re-read these novels over and over again, and the story is still fun and fresh and I pick up new nuances and insights with each read. This is a definite must have for every fan, even if you have the previous TokyoPop release, it is worth investing the money for this superior J-Novel release.
August 28, 2021
The Bandit Killer. The Queen of the Dead. The Black Witch.
This 15-year-old prodigy sorcerer has one hell of a reputation preceding her. But who wouldn't conjure a sphere of dark magic to blast away an idiot mercenary or a corrupt public official? Lina Inverse is the type of girl to let others down. She's also the kind of girl who doesn't mind stepping into the thick of things, when the chips are down, after everyone else has run away, and the situation looks its bleakest. Vengeance-driven priests? Cantankerous wizards? Trolls? Homunculi? Flying fish people? Bring it on. Lina's ready. (And Gourry too, for what it's worth.)
SLAYERS Omnibus #1 is a must-have for longtime enthusiasts of the pint-size lady known to channel (and challenge) the gods of darkness. Kanzaka's first three volumes charting the adventures of Lina, Gourry, and the gang carry readers through warm villages, sparsely populated farmlands, miasma-filled forests, and more. It's a grand adventure. The occasional kernel of backstory certainly doesn't hurt either (e.g., Lina comes from a family of merchants; she was born in a town in Zephilia, a land far to the north; and although young, she held a post in the regional sorcerer's council).
However, these early novels are not perfect. Intersecting plotlines frequently tangle before they straighten. The author's skill with environmental design and detail waxes and wanes. And a burgeoning cast weakens the dynamics of the protagonists. These novels are terribly entertaining, but for readers who haven't already fallen in love with the title's heroes, villains, places, and conflicts of note, the books are a bit of a rough ride.
Lina is a hilarious mess. She's only 15, but is an experienced traveler and expert spellcaster. She curses a lot, is constantly starting all manner of fights, and doesn't blink when faced with the threat of death from an unknown enemy. Her fateful encounter with the handsome but exquisitely dim-witted swordsman Gourry is one for the ages. Gourry, the caretaker of a legendary blade, has pride in spades and possesses extraordinary talent. Notably different from his animated counterpart, Gourry is a delightful smartass. It's no wonder he and Lina hit it off right away. Lina is a critical thinker who loves trouble; Gourry is an easygoing brute whose cheekiness belies his love of a good time.
The first of the omnibus's three novels, The Slayers, initially a standalone effort, is rough around the edges but gets the job done. Kanzaka was clearly packing everything he could into a tiny little box labeled "fantasy adventure." To be blunt, the book is coarse and idiosyncratic, but holds so many solid, original twists and turns, in plotting and narration, that it's extremely difficult to put down. The author's knack for writing killer chapter introductions is particularly charming (e.g., "Well, our visitor sure looked suspicious," p. 52).
In The Sorcerers of Atlas, the second novel, Lina and Gourry stumble into a regional feud between two petty but powerful sorcerers. There are more characters. More demons. A lot more spellcasting. And several, sometimes awkward plot twists. The fight scenes in the second book are excellent, contrasting Lina's gift for conjuring new and inventive ways to use her magical skill against a growing gallery of difficult and anonymous baddies.
SLAYERS Omnibus #1 is an increasingly comfortable encyclopedia of mysticism, courtesy of Lina's narration. Fans of the franchise will recognize many of the girl's more common spells, like diem wing (shockwave of air), freeze arrow (subzero arrow), dynas blas (lightning crashes from every angle), mega brand (rupture of the earth), and more. The big spells, like dragon slave and giga slave are much, much rarer. Lina's personal sketch of giga slave is equally amazing and terrifying. The spell, which calls upon the Lord of Nightmares, is described as a swirling void, "darkness darker than the dead of night," and "the complete and total absence of light" (p. 127).
This is where the franchise has always outperformed its genre contemporaries: spellcasting. For all of the anime programming out there about magical girls, mystical shounen adventurers, and more, none can hold a candle to the spellcasting animation exhibited in Slayers (1995). To great relief, the novels, particularly the second and third installments, yield close to this intuition. When Lina demands the giga slave heed her call and take the form of a blade? Badass. When Zelgadis provides an intricate but lay explanation of the difference between black magic, white ("shamanistic") magic, and elemental shamanistic magic? Flawless. SLAYERS Omnibus #1, true to expectations, is a corpus of mid- to high-fantasy spellcasting that grows increasingly dangerous and increasingly complex with the knowledge base of its daring practitioners.
Not to say there aren't plenty of new spells or new information for readers to pick up. Freeze bullid is a spell Lina invokes to cancel out a fireball, a trick she taught herself. Vrave howl, one of Zel's spells, is absolutely treacherous: "a spell that turned a patch of ground into a boiling lava flow" (p. 376). Meanwhile, van layl is perhaps the most tactically brilliant, casting veins of ice over the wall, floor, and ceiling, spiraling about its opponent and freezing them instantly. When readers realize the amount of study and practice necessary to learn, memorize, and even invent some of these spells, it truly hits home how much of a prodigy Lina Inverse really is.
The incorporation of Zelgadis, it should be mentioned, is impossibly fun and expertly handled. One tends to wonder how these extended protagonists find their way into the main narrative. Fortunately, Kanzaka found Zel's voice early in the novel series. Zelgadis, interestingly, isn't just part golem, he's part "rock golem," part "brow daemon," and part human. Insane. The man's attitude (tenacious and officious) and temperament (taciturn and privileged) are a fun contrast to Lina's goofy genius and Gourry's genius goofiness. At one point, he essentially tells the demure Sylphiel to shut the hell up ("Explanations later," p. 359), given the urgency of healing a gravely injured Lina. Readers don't know much about Zelgadis beyond his role as the "mad swordsman" of the red priest, but the character's prickly, closed-off nature is anything but off-putting. It's perfect.
The third title, The Ghosts of Sairaag whittles the dynamics between Lina and Gourry by building out the cast to include a number of allies, pseudo-allies, and named villains. The pacing is a little rushed, which is less than ideal, but the heightened stakes and increasingly complex battle planning and spellcasting still make for an entertaining read. And whereas environmental description is a weakness of the earlier novels, the third book makes good on the author's need to build out a livable world, as with the following description of the Miasma Forest outside of Sairaag: "The forest was eerily quiet, smothered by a strange chill and a raw smell of greenery so strong that it was almost overpowering. The leaves of the trees were so richly colored they were almost black" (p. 317).
SLAYERS Omnibus #1 has its flaws, most of which serve as nervous, grasping extensions of a fantasy franchise seeking its place. The first volume moves in fits and starts, the overlapping subplots of the second book unnecessarily complicate reader uptake, and the frenetic pacing of the third book, while not debilitating, is more noticeable here than elsewhere. Nevertheless, the characters arise almost fully formed from the start, the novel series' fantastical worldbuilding grows and builds on itself, and reader familiarity will surely only contribute to the comedy, the drama, and the resulting chance encounters with beings so eager to wipe humanity off the face of the planet.
This 15-year-old prodigy sorcerer has one hell of a reputation preceding her. But who wouldn't conjure a sphere of dark magic to blast away an idiot mercenary or a corrupt public official? Lina Inverse is the type of girl to let others down. She's also the kind of girl who doesn't mind stepping into the thick of things, when the chips are down, after everyone else has run away, and the situation looks its bleakest. Vengeance-driven priests? Cantankerous wizards? Trolls? Homunculi? Flying fish people? Bring it on. Lina's ready. (And Gourry too, for what it's worth.)
SLAYERS Omnibus #1 is a must-have for longtime enthusiasts of the pint-size lady known to channel (and challenge) the gods of darkness. Kanzaka's first three volumes charting the adventures of Lina, Gourry, and the gang carry readers through warm villages, sparsely populated farmlands, miasma-filled forests, and more. It's a grand adventure. The occasional kernel of backstory certainly doesn't hurt either (e.g., Lina comes from a family of merchants; she was born in a town in Zephilia, a land far to the north; and although young, she held a post in the regional sorcerer's council).
However, these early novels are not perfect. Intersecting plotlines frequently tangle before they straighten. The author's skill with environmental design and detail waxes and wanes. And a burgeoning cast weakens the dynamics of the protagonists. These novels are terribly entertaining, but for readers who haven't already fallen in love with the title's heroes, villains, places, and conflicts of note, the books are a bit of a rough ride.
Lina is a hilarious mess. She's only 15, but is an experienced traveler and expert spellcaster. She curses a lot, is constantly starting all manner of fights, and doesn't blink when faced with the threat of death from an unknown enemy. Her fateful encounter with the handsome but exquisitely dim-witted swordsman Gourry is one for the ages. Gourry, the caretaker of a legendary blade, has pride in spades and possesses extraordinary talent. Notably different from his animated counterpart, Gourry is a delightful smartass. It's no wonder he and Lina hit it off right away. Lina is a critical thinker who loves trouble; Gourry is an easygoing brute whose cheekiness belies his love of a good time.
The first of the omnibus's three novels, The Slayers, initially a standalone effort, is rough around the edges but gets the job done. Kanzaka was clearly packing everything he could into a tiny little box labeled "fantasy adventure." To be blunt, the book is coarse and idiosyncratic, but holds so many solid, original twists and turns, in plotting and narration, that it's extremely difficult to put down. The author's knack for writing killer chapter introductions is particularly charming (e.g., "Well, our visitor sure looked suspicious," p. 52).
In The Sorcerers of Atlas, the second novel, Lina and Gourry stumble into a regional feud between two petty but powerful sorcerers. There are more characters. More demons. A lot more spellcasting. And several, sometimes awkward plot twists. The fight scenes in the second book are excellent, contrasting Lina's gift for conjuring new and inventive ways to use her magical skill against a growing gallery of difficult and anonymous baddies.
SLAYERS Omnibus #1 is an increasingly comfortable encyclopedia of mysticism, courtesy of Lina's narration. Fans of the franchise will recognize many of the girl's more common spells, like diem wing (shockwave of air), freeze arrow (subzero arrow), dynas blas (lightning crashes from every angle), mega brand (rupture of the earth), and more. The big spells, like dragon slave and giga slave are much, much rarer. Lina's personal sketch of giga slave is equally amazing and terrifying. The spell, which calls upon the Lord of Nightmares, is described as a swirling void, "darkness darker than the dead of night," and "the complete and total absence of light" (p. 127).
This is where the franchise has always outperformed its genre contemporaries: spellcasting. For all of the anime programming out there about magical girls, mystical shounen adventurers, and more, none can hold a candle to the spellcasting animation exhibited in Slayers (1995). To great relief, the novels, particularly the second and third installments, yield close to this intuition. When Lina demands the giga slave heed her call and take the form of a blade? Badass. When Zelgadis provides an intricate but lay explanation of the difference between black magic, white ("shamanistic") magic, and elemental shamanistic magic? Flawless. SLAYERS Omnibus #1, true to expectations, is a corpus of mid- to high-fantasy spellcasting that grows increasingly dangerous and increasingly complex with the knowledge base of its daring practitioners.
Not to say there aren't plenty of new spells or new information for readers to pick up. Freeze bullid is a spell Lina invokes to cancel out a fireball, a trick she taught herself. Vrave howl, one of Zel's spells, is absolutely treacherous: "a spell that turned a patch of ground into a boiling lava flow" (p. 376). Meanwhile, van layl is perhaps the most tactically brilliant, casting veins of ice over the wall, floor, and ceiling, spiraling about its opponent and freezing them instantly. When readers realize the amount of study and practice necessary to learn, memorize, and even invent some of these spells, it truly hits home how much of a prodigy Lina Inverse really is.
The incorporation of Zelgadis, it should be mentioned, is impossibly fun and expertly handled. One tends to wonder how these extended protagonists find their way into the main narrative. Fortunately, Kanzaka found Zel's voice early in the novel series. Zelgadis, interestingly, isn't just part golem, he's part "rock golem," part "brow daemon," and part human. Insane. The man's attitude (tenacious and officious) and temperament (taciturn and privileged) are a fun contrast to Lina's goofy genius and Gourry's genius goofiness. At one point, he essentially tells the demure Sylphiel to shut the hell up ("Explanations later," p. 359), given the urgency of healing a gravely injured Lina. Readers don't know much about Zelgadis beyond his role as the "mad swordsman" of the red priest, but the character's prickly, closed-off nature is anything but off-putting. It's perfect.
The third title, The Ghosts of Sairaag whittles the dynamics between Lina and Gourry by building out the cast to include a number of allies, pseudo-allies, and named villains. The pacing is a little rushed, which is less than ideal, but the heightened stakes and increasingly complex battle planning and spellcasting still make for an entertaining read. And whereas environmental description is a weakness of the earlier novels, the third book makes good on the author's need to build out a livable world, as with the following description of the Miasma Forest outside of Sairaag: "The forest was eerily quiet, smothered by a strange chill and a raw smell of greenery so strong that it was almost overpowering. The leaves of the trees were so richly colored they were almost black" (p. 317).
SLAYERS Omnibus #1 has its flaws, most of which serve as nervous, grasping extensions of a fantasy franchise seeking its place. The first volume moves in fits and starts, the overlapping subplots of the second book unnecessarily complicate reader uptake, and the frenetic pacing of the third book, while not debilitating, is more noticeable here than elsewhere. Nevertheless, the characters arise almost fully formed from the start, the novel series' fantastical worldbuilding grows and builds on itself, and reader familiarity will surely only contribute to the comedy, the drama, and the resulting chance encounters with beings so eager to wipe humanity off the face of the planet.
February 4, 2025
This is my first time experiencing Slayers--I missed while growing up on Yu Yu Hakusho, Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, etc etc--and this is SUCH a great introduction to the series. I enjoyed every last second of this. I listened to the audiobook and it's such a treat to know that Lina's OG voice actress is the narrator. She did an excellent job reading through the book and kept all of the energy going throughout the entire novel. She also made the moments of just straight up exposition on magical systems really entertaining. I'd like to also comment on the quality of writing for this novel. I don't know why, but I didn't expect this novel to have wonderful translations or a really high level of writing, but color me pleasantly surprised! It did!
I'm really hoping that they continue to release audiobooks of this novel, but I can see myself investing heavily in this series. Whether it be the anime or manga or continuing with the novels. I'm really hoping my excitement for the series continues.
***
Update: Finished the third book in this series (I've been listening to the audiobooks) and it was really good. Honestly, each story is even better than the last. I didn't expect the main baddie and it was a super cool twist. I also love that each other gets darker and more intense as we go on. Just good stuff!
I'm really hoping that they continue to release audiobooks of this novel, but I can see myself investing heavily in this series. Whether it be the anime or manga or continuing with the novels. I'm really hoping my excitement for the series continues.
***
Update: Finished the third book in this series (I've been listening to the audiobooks) and it was really good. Honestly, each story is even better than the last. I didn't expect the main baddie and it was a super cool twist. I also love that each other gets darker and more intense as we go on. Just good stuff!
January 6, 2022
Slayers is a novel that's a fun, light read, with endearing characters and just the right amount of humour mixed in with a succinct, villian-of-the-week plot. If you're looking for a book that will make you smile, laugh, and occasionally give you goosebumps, then Slayers is a lovely read.
I have not been a fan of modern fantasy and isekai light novels, and I'm happy to say that Slayers is nothing like those. It doesn't bog itself down trying to be some weird otaku self-fulfilling fantasy, with harems and bland protagonists. It's simply a light-hearted take on the fantasy genre.
I have not been a fan of modern fantasy and isekai light novels, and I'm happy to say that Slayers is nothing like those. It doesn't bog itself down trying to be some weird otaku self-fulfilling fantasy, with harems and bland protagonists. It's simply a light-hearted take on the fantasy genre.
June 15, 2025
The Slayers is one of my favorite classic anime, among the first I ever watched, so I was very curious to read the stories from the source. I'd heard that there are some differences between the early books and who the characters coalesced into in later books/during the anime. The only major difference I could see is that one of the characters is more competent than I recall them being in the anime, and, in my opinion, the romantic tension between two of the characters is a bit stronger and more obvious. I am comparing this to memories of something I watched 20+ years ago, though. For me, this collection of light novels was delightfully nostalgic.
First and foremost I must shout out Elizabeth Ellis's translation. For a book with this strong of a character voice and so many jokes, I think Ellis's name should've probably been on the cover alongside the original creator and illustrator, as Ellis's writing choices must have been integral to bringing Lina to life. Lina is such a charming, likeable character despite clearly being a somewhat obnoxious person to know, and that's a fine line to tread.
This is very much a light novel, but its moments of horror imagery were surprisingly effective. The storytelling is breezy and easy to pick up and put down, as is typical for light novels. My only major sticking point is during the second novel it sort of felt a little convoluted without payoff and I got a bit confused about who was doing what.
It's clear The Slayers intends to riff on tropes of high fantasy and adventure novels of its day, and as such, early on there is a scene of jokes regarding imperiling female characters with the threat of sexual assault. It's going to be a matter of opinion if you found these jokes crass but ultimately extremely funny (which I did), or completely over the line. I could see the case for the latter. However, if you're a fan of lighthearted genre-savvy fantasy adventure like Konosuba or the DnD movie, I think this will be a treat for you.
First and foremost I must shout out Elizabeth Ellis's translation. For a book with this strong of a character voice and so many jokes, I think Ellis's name should've probably been on the cover alongside the original creator and illustrator, as Ellis's writing choices must have been integral to bringing Lina to life. Lina is such a charming, likeable character despite clearly being a somewhat obnoxious person to know, and that's a fine line to tread.
This is very much a light novel, but its moments of horror imagery were surprisingly effective. The storytelling is breezy and easy to pick up and put down, as is typical for light novels. My only major sticking point is during the second novel it sort of felt a little convoluted without payoff and I got a bit confused about who was doing what.
It's clear The Slayers intends to riff on tropes of high fantasy and adventure novels of its day, and as such, early on there is a scene of jokes regarding imperiling female characters with the threat of sexual assault. It's going to be a matter of opinion if you found these jokes crass but ultimately extremely funny (which I did), or completely over the line. I could see the case for the latter. However, if you're a fan of lighthearted genre-savvy fantasy adventure like Konosuba or the DnD movie, I think this will be a treat for you.
April 8, 2022
I used to watch the Anime as a kid, so this was a special experience for me. It was a fun read before bed each night, and being a light novel it was perfect for some late night entertainment as well as getting my eyes tired out enough to sleep.
It deviated from the Anime by a surprising amount, and a lot of the spicier scenes were clearly cut down for television. These spicier or gorier scenes are present in the book, but they fit perfectly with the tone of both the light novel and the anime.
Volume 1 was almost word-for-word the same as in the anime, although some scenes were cut or added, and some spicier scenes edited down to be more tame (although ironically what does happen to Lina is worse in the show than the light novel).
My favorite story was the one that was left out of the show entirely - Volume 2: Sorcerers of Atlas - which was what happened during Lina and Gourry's stay in Atlas city, something the show skips over completely. It was just my cup of tea with it playing in a city, having intrigue and mystery, sneaking around and investigating stuff, and of course the obligatory epic battles and final showdown.
It was an extremely comfy story with a good twist and a satisfying ending that was a pleasant change of pace from the other two stories which did feature in the show.
Volume 3 deviates a lot from the show itself, characters that were sort of memory holed in the show do make a (short and pathetic) return, characters that appear in the show, however, do not exist or at least do not appear in this story yet, the motivations of the villain and when certain characters appear or die, and the final battle are all completely different. It feels like this story was not so much adapted for TV as ripped off and integrated into what is a substantially different story.
It also was paced much faster than the show's version I feel, although the show also includes a lot of filler material that doesn't appear in the LN.
It deviated from the Anime by a surprising amount, and a lot of the spicier scenes were clearly cut down for television. These spicier or gorier scenes are present in the book, but they fit perfectly with the tone of both the light novel and the anime.
Volume 1 was almost word-for-word the same as in the anime, although some scenes were cut or added, and some spicier scenes edited down to be more tame (although ironically what does happen to Lina is worse in the show than the light novel).
My favorite story was the one that was left out of the show entirely - Volume 2: Sorcerers of Atlas - which was what happened during Lina and Gourry's stay in Atlas city, something the show skips over completely. It was just my cup of tea with it playing in a city, having intrigue and mystery, sneaking around and investigating stuff, and of course the obligatory epic battles and final showdown.
It was an extremely comfy story with a good twist and a satisfying ending that was a pleasant change of pace from the other two stories which did feature in the show.
Volume 3 deviates a lot from the show itself, characters that were sort of memory holed in the show do make a (short and pathetic) return, characters that appear in the show, however, do not exist or at least do not appear in this story yet, the motivations of the villain and when certain characters appear or die, and the final battle are all completely different. It feels like this story was not so much adapted for TV as ripped off and integrated into what is a substantially different story.
It also was paced much faster than the show's version I feel, although the show also includes a lot of filler material that doesn't appear in the LN.
March 24, 2024
Character 3.5| Setting 5| Plot 3.5| Writing 2| Enjoyability 4
Overall Rating: 3.6
I want to start this off by saying I grew up watching the anime based off these novels. I love all the characters very much. I have noticed a lot of differences and that's fine I figured it would be different.
Like I said I love the magic system and Love the characters especially Lina. She is a fresh take and growing up seeing such a loudmouthed and kind of rude character is refreshing(also I love her and I will route for her all the way!)
My biggest gripe of this is how much SA is in here. It happened like at least once in each volume. The SA didn't happen, but it was mentioning Lina getting SA'd. I don't know if they trying to joke about it, it just was a big ICK for me.
The First three novels follow Lina and Gourry as they travel to Atlas City and Sairaigg. They have magical misadventures, and eventually get a bounty on their head.
Overall Rating: 3.6
I want to start this off by saying I grew up watching the anime based off these novels. I love all the characters very much. I have noticed a lot of differences and that's fine I figured it would be different.
Like I said I love the magic system and Love the characters especially Lina. She is a fresh take and growing up seeing such a loudmouthed and kind of rude character is refreshing(also I love her and I will route for her all the way!)
My biggest gripe of this is how much SA is in here. It happened like at least once in each volume. The SA didn't happen, but it was mentioning Lina getting SA'd. I don't know if they trying to joke about it, it just was a big ICK for me.
The First three novels follow Lina and Gourry as they travel to Atlas City and Sairaigg. They have magical misadventures, and eventually get a bounty on their head.
October 18, 2023
This is one of the better written light novels I've read, and that's not just nostalgia speaking. I watched the Slayers anime years ago, but reading these novels gives a new sparkle to those memories. The anime isn't a one-to-one adaptation of the light novel, so the differences are fun to see.
Slayers is a fun, action-oriented, sassy fantasy adventure. They're told from the perspective of Lina Inverse, the always-hungry, teenage, genius sorceress with a penchant for hunting bandits and getting into trouble. These adventures tend to end with the heroes winning the day, but victory can be bittersweet. Compared to western fantasy novels, these Japanese light novels are more like novellas, so they do make for short, light reads.
Slayers is a fun, action-oriented, sassy fantasy adventure. They're told from the perspective of Lina Inverse, the always-hungry, teenage, genius sorceress with a penchant for hunting bandits and getting into trouble. These adventures tend to end with the heroes winning the day, but victory can be bittersweet. Compared to western fantasy novels, these Japanese light novels are more like novellas, so they do make for short, light reads.
October 7, 2021
On the one hand, my review sometime ago of the first book in this omnibus collection clearly suggests that the story is not great. And, like the first book, the other two in this collection are pretty slap-dash efforts at storytelling and amount to little more than repetition of the first book.... However, the book object is very attractive and the nostalgic art cover made this special edition hardcover irresistible to my otaku inclinations. If you are a fan, you may enjoy the treatment this series gets from J-Novel Club. If you have tried a few light novels and have found the format lacking, then this one, unfortunately, will not change your mind.
March 19, 2023
The story of the first volume was fairly enjoyable. I didn't particularly enjoy the humor of this series and with the first volume being a self contained story, the remaining two volumes became more difficult to enjoy. Overall, this series is a classic, just wasn't for me personally. Still recommend everyone at least trying the first volume out.
January 15, 2023
The Slayers anime was part of my childhood, so I may be biased! Though it was simply written, the plot was fun and it was nice to be in Lina's POV as the story transpires. She kept things interesting!
February 2, 2023
Full review here: https://www.minds.com/eisah/blog/revi...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews