I picked this one up because I loved Isaki’s other manga Is Love The Answer? Obviously the vibes for this were going to be totally different as it’s a fantasy story and not a queer story of self-discovery.

Unfortunately, the characters didn’t stand out. Yan is so over-the-top and not really in a believable way? There’s a rapid-fire infodump about him in the first few pages (namely that he turns into a violent gorilla when mad? Apparently?) but that doesn’t really explain anything about him as a person, and it felt like he was given that ridiculous backstory only for people to question his suitability as a librarian.

Tohru is not defined as a person at all. He’s sheltered, but everything else about him is a mystery. And not even a curiosity-inducing mystery. Like he draws the eyes of the princess but for what reason? There’s not enough of a teaser with something interesting…

It just felt half-baked to me.

An interesting book, wonderfully illustrated, and a fun read! I enjoyed the story a lot and would be interested in reading the next iteration of this manga.

Oh my goodness this is one of the best stories about magic books I have ever read! I love this world and the magic system. The art is beautiful. The characters are unique and have depth. The plot is fun. And it's a Manga with no inappropriate fan service, YAY! Will be watching for volume two. Cause this is amazing. Would make a beautiful amine.

This review of The Spellbook Library 1 by Uta Isaki is courtesy of NetGalley
#TheSpellbookLibrary #NetGalley

I've a weak spot for libraries. I absolutely love them. Mix in some magic and this manga was a shoo-in for me picking up to review.

I was originally going to just download so I wouldn't forget, go back to reading an ebook I checked out from the library and then read this at a later point in time after my actual library books were read. My mistake was opening up the file and looking through the first few pages. The art style isn't my favorite but there's nothing wrong with it. The story pulled me in though that I finished the 3 chapters that make up volume 1 immediately and I'm now anticipating the next volumes. I want to find out about the mystery of Tohru and why he has the powers he has. I'm wondering how it will help him on his quest to be a Spellbook librarian. I also wonder why there's a princess working at the library.

Rating 5/5
Publication Date: Oct 22 2024

4.5 stars

So the premise of this is intriguing. The art is great. But I think I am going to need a few more volumes before we have enough character development for me to be completely hooked.

Will definitely read more.

Recommended.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me this manga for review. This manga read very young, I couldn't connect to the main character however it could be great for younger readers.

It's a nice concept but could use some refining, I didn't quite gel with the art style to be completely honest. The story itself.. it read a little young whilst also not being all that clear. This dove in a little to quickly at the start and we were kind of expected to keep up. Shame, it is a really cool concept but unfortunately just not for me.

It's not bad for a first book. I was confused because I thought Yan was the main character, but it turns out that Tohru is the main lead. The beginning seemed a bit rushed with how Yan and Tour met. I liked the idea of the spell beasts being sealed by books, but I felt that it could have been articulated better. It looked like the sealing department needs to constantly carry books around when going into battle. I do like the PR department so far. I am interested in seeing what happens in the second volume.

Not for me, I usually like shonen manga (see Demon Slayer, Witch Hate Atelier and others), but this reads too young.
I could forgo it if the drawings were amazing, but I find them just fine, not the target for it.