BOOK REVIEW: Spice & Wolf v.1, or Holo-Chan's Magical Financial Adventure.

[xyzzysqrl]

Why did I buy this book? Holo. Holo (or Horo in fan-romanization) was all I knew about this book going in. She's a wolf goddess with an apple fetish! I'm sold.

What I expected was a cute romp through Fantasyville with her devouring things. What I got was economic theory, Teasing wolf Action, some violence, some minor swashbuckling, and a decently told story.

First off, the main character. That being... Kraft Lawrence. Totally not your average fantasy protag, he's a 30-ish merchant whose big claim to fame is that after several years of work he owns his own wagon and has a decent trade route set up. Lawrence runs furs and wheat and salt and... really, whatever he can trade for a profit, up and down the roads of East Fantasyville. After passing a Harvest Festival one day, Lawrence checks the back of his cart and finds a naked girl with fluffy ears and a really big wolf-tail.

It turns out that his load of wheat was enough to draw the local Harvest Goddess into the back of his wagon. Meet Holo, who is a seriously discontent ex-deity. She can live anywhere there's wheat, and in exchange for various tributes, she was helping the wheat of a local village thrive. However, between advanced technology, rote reptition and time they have largely forgotten why and who they were worshipping in the first place.

So Holo and Lawrence team up, to get her back to her homeland in the north. She wants to tool around and see the world on the way, he wants the company. Off they go to ADVENTURE.

And by adventure, I mean make deals. And bargain. And work out economic theory.

Right there is where the book might take a hard right turn and run aground, if you don't care about this sort of thing. There's a scene where Lawrence explains how losing some money has in fact led him to future profit, in extreme detail. There's currency speculation. There's hardcore bartering scenes, too shocking for the young ones. Everyone is motivated by profit. The church, townspeople, the King, companies (duh), everyone. This book frolics in the garden of capitalism.

Oh, and later there's some blood and action and running around. But really, mostly it's about the money-making game.

Above all, though, this is a book that made profiteering -fun-. If I had one objection? It would be... well. Holo. She proclaims her wisdom at the drop of a hat! She tells wild stories about devouring the brains of travelers! She gets roaringly drunk and eats apples! She hurls her ego about some more! Then she gets very vulnerable. Then more ego! And vulnerable again. Etc.

Her schtick got a little -thick- by the end of the book, is all I mean. But as an introduction to the character it works really well, and she certainly is a THUNDERING character. She's like Washuu from Tenchi Muyo with a fantasy bent. If you like that sort of character, this is the character you will like. I was veeeery slightly tired of her by the end. Presumably when I read the next book she will have relaxed slightly? ...no, probably not.

Oh, and there are some illustrations in this book. Eh.



All in all, I liked it. This is a very laid back book, lots of description in small paragraphs. It has an easy flow, but it is very dense with information. The translation from Japanese seems pretty good, in that I didn't get hung up on anything or wonder about contradictions or any such thing. There were occasional redundant lines, but nothing that jumped out at me. It was a rapid read that I just blew through in a hurry and now I want to go watch the anime. Sigh.

Volume 2 hits "June 2010" according to Yen Press. I look forward to it.

Comments

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Gah, you reminded me about that anime that's been slowly going up on the web at funimation.com, and I watched like three episodes last night before and after and after bedtime. c.c

[vulpisfoxfire.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. A thundering character...or a tsundreing character?