Title: On Basilisk Station
Series: Honor Harrington
Author: David Weber
Genre: Sci-fi
Publisher: Baen Books
Release Date: April 1992
Format: Paperback
Pages: 458

 

On Basilisk Station was a heck of a way to kick off a series. While it may not be the #1 military sci-fi series I have read, it certainly competes with others at the top of the list. The first thing that sticks out is its relatability. Despite being centuries of the future in space, On Basilisk Station shares many similarities with older stories of wooden ships with soldiers, sailors, and pirates. David Weber accomplishes this in a few different ways. One of which is the sci-fi technology, which forces ship-to-ship combat to resemble ocean warfare. Another is the cultural aspects of the space nations. And of course, the personalities of the central characters.

Many great sci-fi series have some unique bit of technology that makes them stick out. On Basilisk Station shows this via a combination of how the ships move and defend themselves. Each ship uses gravity waves generated above and below the ships as “sails” to move through space. These gravity alterations are so strong they also serve as shields against enemy fire. In a nutshell, it means ships have to be hit from the sides during combat. Just like in older naval stories. Weber came up with a unique explanation to play homage to 2D battles in a 3D environment using this technology.

Not many nations are mentioned in this first book alone, but the majority of them seem to be space versions of real countries. For example, the main protagonists are members of the Royal Manticore Navy. Manticore is heavily based on Great Britain with its government, culture, and military organization. Likewise, the antagonist nation the Republic of Haven is based on France. Weber provides explanations for these similarities within the story and it goes to show how even centuries later and light-years apart, history repeats itself.

Being the first book, On Basilisk Station focuses heavily on developing Honor Harrington’s character. Honor comes across as a bit of a Mary Sue, but her name also seems to be her doctrine. She is smart, loyal, courageous, and an upstanding military officer. That is not to say she is without flaws, she does have a temper, but her pros far outweigh her cons. This is inadvertently what leads into the plot as her skills and professionalism ends up angering a superior officer with a less developed sense of ethics. But throughout the story, Honor shows time and again that she can succeed even when set up as the underdog. I cannot wait to see what happens when she goes into a battle properly prepared.

Title: The Desert Spear
Series: Demon Cycle
Author: Peter V. Brett
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: April 13, 2010
Format: Paperback
Pages: 579

 

The Desert Spear puts a different spin on the standard tropes of fantasy writing. Going into this book, readers may assume the POVs will still to Arlen, Leesha, and Rojer from The Warded Man. Instead, much of this story focuses on Jardir, Arlen’s former friend from the beginning of the last book. A significant portion of The Desert Spear focuses on Jardir. Essentially his whole life is covered, from early childhood to the present day. That being said, it takes a while. Jardir’s backstory covers the first 200-ish pages of this book. It is a bit daunting, but the story continues in earnest from there.

Getting a sense of Jardir’s backstory benefits the audience twofold. Through his eyes, readers learn a lot more about Krasia’s culture. While it is reminiscent of the Middle East, there are some differences. We get to see the mindset of the only people left who still regularly fight the demons. Their history plays a large part in this, as does their sense of honor. Readers will learn why, despite his honor, Jardir betrayed Arlen. As well as whose actions besides Jardir’s manipulated these events and pushed Krasia north.

Jardir is not the only new POV in The Desert Spear either. Whereas The Warded Man had three POVs, this book kicks it up to eight. Most of these are familiar characters from the first book, but there are some new faces too. Despite all the new character development, it does not mean the original trio are on the backburner. This is the point in the story where the world starts to change. It started with Arlen but is growing as more and more people become involved. All their actions will soon change the world order across the five nations.

As the world starts to change, strife begins growing between the human nations. The first book did briefly mention some political turmoil between the countries. But new events are starting to scale those conflicts from political turmoil to military action. Even in a world where monsters hunt men every night, people still fight among themselves. And that is not to say that the demons are standing idle either. As the first book’s epilogue showed us, some demons are more than powerful animals. They are intelligent, watching, and prepared to ensure humanity does not become a threat. Time will tell to what extent humans and demons alike are successful.

Title: The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 1: Deus lo Vult
Series: The Saga of Tanya the Evil
Author: Carlo Zen
Genre: Light Novel
Publisher: Yen On
Release Date: December 19, 2017 (USA); October 31, 2013 (Japan)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 344

 

For a light novel, The Saga of Tanya the Evil focuses less on “light” and more on “novel”. Unlike most other light novels, these books are not quick reads. This series reads at the same pace as a regular novel with an equivalent page count. Readers who have watched the anime will notice the books start a little differently. The anime begins with a flashforward before going back and explaining previous events. The book, on the other hand, presents the information chronologically (for the most part). While reading this first volume, keep in mind the book’s title Deus Io Vult is the Catholic motto “God wills it” that was popular during the Crusades.

The structure of Deus Io Vult is a bit difficult to follow. New readers may have trouble picking up on Tanya’s circumstances in this strange new world. Tanya’s story starts in our world as a middle-aged Japanese salaryman. The circumstances of his death lead to reincarnation on an alternate Earth. As a baby girl. In a country that is essentially pre-WWI Germany. And (s)he grows up just in time to join the military just as the war starts kicking off. Gender pronouns are actually tricky with Tanya, as (s)he is physically female but still thinks of him/herself as a man.

Anyway, every good isekai (trapped in another world) series has something different that makes it stand out. In this case, it is the story being in the military genre. Most other isekai series take place in standard fantasy worlds with knights, wizards, and so forth. While magic does exist in this world, they are still on the level of WWI technology. Magic is just used to amplify that technology. For example, a magic-charged rifle bullet could have increased explosive force, allowing it to function as a mortar shell. The series presents a very unique mix of magic and not-quite-modern technology.

The writing style here is a bit clunky. There is a lot of detail in the world-building and story, making the book long-winded for a light novel. Tanya also frequently makes real-world references, with cliff notes at the bottoms of pages for readers unfamiliar with those topics. Overall, this is one of the better light novel series out there, especially for readers interested in military history. It is different from most other light novel series, so people looking for a quick read might be turned off. If you are on the fence for this one, I highly recommend checking out the anime first.

Title: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 2
Series: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Author: FUSE
Genre: Light Novel
Publisher: Yen On
Release Date: April 24, 2018 (English); August 30, 2014 (Japanese)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304

 

Volume 2 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime picks up shortly after Volume 1 ended. For anyone watching the anime, episodes 9 – 15 cover Volume 2. Things have calmed down a bit since the battle at end of Volume 1. In the meantime, Rimuru and the villagers have continued to expand their home. Until, of course, something bad happens. A small skirmish marks the prelude to war, with Rimuru and allies both new and old preparing for a confrontation against a massive army consuming everything in its path.

The world-building is as substantial in this Volume as the first one. We start to see more of the Forest of Jura as well as neighboring lands. This involves nearby human nations as well as monster communities. The concept of naming monsters is really hammered home here, more so than in the first book. Names increase a monster’s magic, which in turn improves them physically. It is a literally life-changing phenomenon that only a select few are normally granted. Rimuru naming every friendly monster he comes across builds instant loyalty and fosters the growth of their town.

Naming plays a big part in this book’s characterization, something else heavy in the story. Volume 2 introduces a lot of characters who become major players for the rest of the series. From the ogres on the front cover to the races involved in the war and shadowy villains lurking behind the scenes. Monsters normally do not get along but against this new threat and under Rimuru’s flag, things are changing. While Rimuru views himself as a normal guy, he puts himself in a position of leadership as his actions begin to change the world for the better.

Compared to Western novels, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has the feel of a YA book. The age rating on the back says 14+ and that is pretty accurate. There are some darker themes in this second book, but nothing horribly descriptive. Comparatively, it is about on par with a Rick Riordan book. While by no means a great work of literature, these books are just fun. Nothing in here comes across as flawless or perfect, but the story and characters are just fun. This is by far one of the better light novel series out there and its light-hearted nature makes it a good choice for people just getting started on the isekai genre.

Title: The Rising of the Shield Hero, Volume 1
Series: The Rising of the Shield Hero
Author: Aneko Yusagi
Genre: Light Novel
Publisher: One Peace Books
Release Date: September 15, 2015 (English); August 22, 2013 (Japanese)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336

 

The Rising of the Shield Hero is a popular topic among anime fans right now. The anime had me hooked fast, so I decided to pick up the books as well. This is part of the “isekai” genre, where characters are trapped in another world. Naofumi, the titular Shield Hero, and three other individuals are sent into a fantasy world against their will. While they are not sucked into a video game, this new world works on RPG video game rules. To return home, they must fight and defeat a threat known as the Waves of Destruction.

Now there are a couple of things Rising of the Shield Hero does differently. These are all factors that make it stick out from other, similar stories. First off, the main character is not overpowered or some kind of genius savant. Just the opposite, in fact, he starts off underpowered compared to the other heroes. More than that, without spoiling anything specific, Naofumi gets emotionally destroyed early in the story. He goes from being a happy, average young man to a darker, more cutthroat personality. While at the core he is a decent person, his outlook on the world changes drastically and affects him psychologically.

At the start of the story, some of the characters are a bit bland. However, they do develop in the later books as we start to see more of their histories and motivations. Aside from Naofumi, his partner Raphtalia is really the only one with significant development in the first book alone. But like many first books in any series, there is a lot of world-building in this volume. Initial world-building is critical but does take up page space. Being told from Naofumi’s point-of-view, Rising of the Shield Hero teaches readers about this new world as Naofumi learns these things himself.

Since this story is from Naofumi’s point-of-view, there are some scenes in the anime that are more fleshed out. Details Naofumi learns of later in the books are sometimes shown when events initially happen in the books. On the flipside, the books do have details left out of the anime. In the beginning, these are little things, like more detailed explanations of how magic works. In later volumes, there is more information left out, but that is neither here nor there for this first volume. If you like “trapped-in-another-world” stories or fantasy in general, Rising of the Shield Hero is highly recommended.

Title: Overlord, Vol. 10: The Ruler of Conspiracy
Series: Overlord
Author: Kugane Maruyama
Genre: Light Novel
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: May 21, 2019 (English); May 30, 2016 (Japanese)
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336

 

The Ruler of Conspiracy picks up shortly (a few weeks) after the end of the previous book. For anime viewers, this book takes place just after the third season ended. This book focuses almost entirely on Ainz, which was refreshing. As Overlord as progressed, Ainz has received less and less facetime despite being the main protagonist. While it is nice to see other characters as more than background decorations, too much time was being taken away from Ainz to do so. The Ruler of Conspiracy focuses primarily on Nazarick’s efforts on establishing their new nation as a recognized world power.

Having been a salaryman in his previous life, Ainz takes a corporate mindset towards running his country. His thought process heavily involves evaluating resources as well as losses/gains. While his minions have no issue using unethical tactics or direct military force, Ainz puzzles out (relatively) peaceful solutions. Or stumbles into them. Since most The Ruler of Conspiracy is from Ainz’s POV, readers are reminded that he is a normal guy. He commands great military power but intellectually he is fairly average. Most of his opponents do overestimate his intellect and trip themselves up, assuming coincidences were actually brilliant tactical maneuvers.

Perhaps due to his experience as a businessman, Ainz is a master of “fake it til you make it”. His magical power impresses the heck out of people. As does his unconventional use of that magic. When other rulers observe him using monster minions powerful enough to single-handedly destroy countries as guards and manual labor, they are more than a little shocked. Due to his power and influence, everyone around Ainz makes a lot of assumptions. And once aware of those assumptions, Ainz just rolls with it. “Yes, that was my plan all along!” No one has the gall to call him out and realize he is full of baloney.

The plot in this volume is two-fold. One part deals with Ainz establishing diplomatic relations with the Empire. The other deals with Albedo doing the same thing in the Kingdom. Inadvertently, both these actions also affect the Sorcerer Kingdom’s relationship with the Theocracy, the third nearby nation. The Ruler of Conspiracy also starts to mention other nations that are not in the immediate area more heavily. The book mentions there is another nation Demiurge is dealing with while this book ends with Ainz preparing to leave for another nation entirely. It seems that as of this volume, Nazarick’s goal of world conquest is truly underway.

Title: The Warded Man (originally The Painted Man)
Series: Demon Cycle
Author: Peter V. Brett
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House (originally Harper Voyager)
Release Date: March 23, 2010 (originally September, 2008)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 453

 

Many of the best fantasy stories are ones with some sort of unique plot hook. The driving force needs to be something more generic than “go slay the evil dragon”. Peter V. Brett hit that nail on the head by twisting an age-old concept into his own idea. Demons are real in this world, rising from the ground each and every night. Mankind’s only defense are walls protected by magical wards, whose own defenses are imperfect. But mankind was not always the prey and The Warded Man begins a tale of resurgence against their demon oppressors.

In a word: wow. The Warded Man just gets everything right. It does not show, at all, that this was Peter V. Brett’s first novel. This is the level of work typically seen of authors with decades of experience under their belts. The world-building here is absolutely beautiful. Brett guides viewers into the state of the world despite all the history humanity has lost after centuries of demon attacks. The rediscovery of some of this lost knowledge is extremely important to the plot. Even still, enough rocks are left unturned that they can be revealed in the later books.

But as simple yet engaging as the story and world-building is, the Demon Cycle is ultimately about the characters. The Warded Man bounces between three different perspectives as the main trio is slowly brought together. Stretching from early childhood into adulthood, readers see how people live in this demon-infested world. How some people are broken by it while others fight tooth and nail against it. Not to mention how people will play politics and can be as monstrous as the creatures lurking outside their wards. This first book gives us Brett’s world as it is while the other novels will show how it changes.

If something bad had to be said about The Warded Man, it would be the slow start. Aside from the occasional demon, a lot of what happens in the beginning is slice-of-life stuff. The opening of the book pours the soft clay of the main three protagonists while the rest of the story molds them. This first entry in the Demon Cycle series is letting readers know who these people are and why. As the series continues, the new hardships they face will either reshape or shatter them. Only time will tell. But either way, it is going to be a wild ride.