The Spellbook Library follows Yan and Tohru as they join the Spellbook Librarians.

This story was fun, fast paced and really engaging, I really loved the art, the world building and the magic system, I also really enjoyed the friendship between them, it felt real and genuine. Overall I had a great time reading this one!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending this my way!

Interesting concept. I found the characters likeable and the storyline compelling enough to keep me reading the series. I like the friendship that has developed between Yan and Tohru and am curious how the series progresses. It was difficult, at times, to figure out who was saying things as the bubbles aren’t pointed at anyone so it can get confusing. Hoping this gets fixed as the series continues.

Magic, madness and adventure!

The story is as the blurb says. The manga is perfect for beginners who would love reading about magic, found family, adventure and friendship.

The art is a little chaotic as it should be. However, the art sequences are a little haphazard.

Thank you, Kodansha Comics, for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC!

This first volume in a new manga series was such a fun read! I’m excited to read more about Tohru and Yan’s experience training and working at the Spellbook Library.

After Yan saves Tohru from a mugging they join together to pass the spell book library employment exam where books hold spell beasts and the employees use spells and seals to protect citizens from being harmed by spellbeasts. I’m curious to know more about spellbeasts and the kingdom the story takes place. The first volume introduced quite a few characters and gave us a taste of a few different plot points and mysteries to dive deeper in future volumes.

I enjoyed the pacing and felt like it did justice to the development of the characters and their slowly unfurling backstories. The artwork is great, especially of the different spellbeasts.

You can read my review on Storygraph!

As a book lover, I really enjoyed this story, so these two young men want to work at the library. Though this is not just any library, it's a spellbook library where they keep books with magic spells in them and even trap dangerous mystical beings inside of them as well. There are some interesting characters and a lot we don't know yet, and I can't wait to read more of this series.

“If the goal you had wasn’t really what you wanted, then all you have to do is set a new goal.” - Tohru

✨ The Spellbook Library follows Yan and Tohru as they join the Spellbook Librarians, working together to protect people from dangerous spellbeasts.

✨ This was such a fun read! I loved how Tohru, Yan, and Emel worked so well together. I have to admit, I struggled a bit to get into it at first, but the moment Emel showed up, I was hooked! She’s absolutely adorable, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with her.

✨ I also really enjoyed the friendship that developed between Tohru and Yan. It felt so genuine. Plus, I was totally intrigued by the mystery surrounding Tohru—though, to be honest, all three of them are pretty mysterious! We only get small glimpses into their backgrounds, but I’m really excited to learn more about them.

✨ Overall, I’d definitely recommend this if you’re into fantasy, dragons, magical beasts, and adorable characters!

✨A huge thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this cute and magical ARC!

✨WHAT I LIKED:
📌 When Yan stood up for Tohru
📌 How Yan and Tohru treat Emel like a regular person
📌 Emel’s unshakeable poker face
📌 How humble Tohru and Emel are
📌 Yan’s charming looks
📌 The enormous library!

✨TROPES:
📌 ACTION - PACKED CHAPTERS
📌 FOUND FRIENDSHIP
📌 MAGICAL CREATURES
📌 CUTE AND FUNNY CHARACTERS
📌 NO SPICE

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6793611346

💻 BLOG REVIEW: https://kimthebookdragon.wordpress.com/2024/08/27/arc-review-the-spellbook-library-volume-1-by-uta-isaki/

I struggled to get to the end of this manga because I disliked the characters and the events flowed too fast. As a result, I lost interest in the world, which I was very curious about at the beginning, the characters and their story.

I really wanted to like this one, the premise sounded so interesting and original. I think that I just need to understand that manga and the tone that it takes on and the strangeness that it embraces is not for me.

3.9⭐s
-
I too, would like to work at The Spellbook Library where you can capture Spellbeasts that threaten your village! Even if I'm in the PR Department.

This story follows two young men basically applying/working at The Spellbook Library and all the drama/action that comes with it.

It's an enjoyable read; fast-paced. Can't wait to continue this series.

Thank you Kodansha Comics, & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this volume. The art is so much fun to see and I think it allowed me to understand and connect with the characters more because I was able to see their mannerisms and the actions they were doing. The story is fast pace and it keeps you entertained as you are reading. I couldn't put it down and I found that the story sucked me in right away. The character are all different from one another and their dynamic was fun to read about as the volume continued.

The Spellbook Library is compared to Witch Hat Atelier and while it does have those magical vibes it also reminds me of Sorcery of Thorns with its magical libraries and potentially dangerous tomes. The first volume introduces likeable and intriguing characters and sets up mysteries to be explored as the story unfolds. I really want to learn more about the characters and the world the story takes place in and am looking forward to the next volume!

It’s also an interesting concept of manga made in Japan but released overseas first with an international market in mind. It’s a chance for artists to try ideas outside of the usual that might not get a chance domestically.

If you love magical libraries and mystery and adventure The Spellbook Library brings likable characters in an interesting and fun setting with a delightful sense of humor.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Love the art. Including the drawing development was fun to look at and see some of the thought process and progression behind the story.

I found the dialogue a bit hard to follow due to the format.

Cute story, I like the idea and I want to live in that library!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a decent Manga. Manga isn't one of my main genres but I will try to describe my experiences the best I can. I did enjoy the concept of the story as well as the art style. I do feel like the book could have had more information regarding the Spellbook Library and world building in general. I also didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable. I would not be put off reading more of this author or series but overall not my favourite read.

"The Spellbook Library Vol. 1" follows 2 young guys who aim to be spellbook librarians. We follow Yan and Tohru as they go through a library test to become Spellbook Librarians and their first few days on the job. This book was action packed and really engaging! I loved the magical beasts and how they could be captured by magical books, then lent out to society. It was a very creative story!

The only things I found lacking were that
1. the speech bubbles often were just circles without the indicator of who was talking, so sometimes I wasn't sure who was saying what
2. I thought Tohru was a girl for the first chapter because of how he is drawn. Not a big deal, but I was surprised in chapter 2 when they started using he/him pronouns, and it did confuse me a bit in the story when they were referencing him, I thought they were referencing Yan.

Overall, I really enjoyed this manga! This would be great for middle grade/teen readers who like things in the realm of pokemon, but with a little more magic. I would definitely read more volumes!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga /Graphic Novel

The cover drew me in and I was not disappointed with the read, it was entertaining and engaging with the characters I was hoping for them to achieve their goals, joining the spellbook library to achieve great things and being put through different apartments of the library.

It was fun and could not stop reading, I look forward to more 😀

Unfortunately, this manga didn't work for me. I found the art style not to my taste, nor did I connect to either of the main characters. I'm sure we get a better grasp on the world in future volumes, but in this volume it wasn't an interesting enough introduction to catch my attention. It's a shame, but I know this will work for others, and I highly encourage readers who enjoy library based fantasy stories to give this a try.

I loved this first volume of The Spellbook Library! The concept is clever and I was immediately attached to the characters. The characterisation was effective, giving me a good idea of their personality but leaving enough mystery to be intrigued. The storyline is interesting and I look forward where it will go, especially with the cliffhanger it ended up on.
The artstyle is beautiful, especially the beasts are very nicely illustrated.
This is very promising, and advertising it to fans of Witch Hat Atelier is very fitting - look forward to more.

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.