Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 1 (light novel)

Graphic novel, 296 pages

English language

Published Dec. 1, 2020 by Yen Press LLC.

ISBN:: 978-1-9753-1719-5

(1 review)

Springtime at Kimberly Magic Academy brings a new batch of first-year students, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as they begin their journey to become full-fledged mages. Among these newcomers are Oliver Horn, a studious boy equally skilled with the wand and the blade, and Nanao Hibiya, a strong-willed samurai girl from the distant nation of Yamatsu. The wheels of fate bring these two souls together at Kimberly, where they become both comrades and rivals in equal measure. However, lurking within the academy’s halls are countless dangers and dark secrets guaranteed to threaten not only their friendship—but their very lives...

1 edition

Aiko 🍀 Zero reviewed Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 1 (light novel) by Bokuto Uno (Reign of the Seven Spellblades, #1)

Introduction to the Dark Magic School With Swords

5 stars

(2023/03/25-2023/03/29, late post)

I've read the manga adaptation so I already knew the plot, but even so, it's been a while since I last read the manga so my memory needs a refresher and the light novel has so much more content.

At first glance, it's like a "Harry Potter" magic school knock-off with the addition of swords, but the it's soon revealed that the magical world of this story, and by extension the magic academy, isn't full of rainbows or sunshine. Far from it, it's full of madness and death always looms nearby. There's even a political turmoil about civil rights for demi-humans/magical beasts. The world is solid and well-built. There is a sinister, dark tone all over the book, and I dig it.

Even with all the exposition about the world and magic, I don't feel like it's too much or feels like a drag, I find them …

(2023/03/25-2023/03/29, late post)

I've read the manga adaptation so I already knew the plot, but even so, it's been a while since I last read the manga so my memory needs a refresher and the light novel has so much more content.

At first glance, it's like a "Harry Potter" magic school knock-off with the addition of swords, but the it's soon revealed that the magical world of this story, and by extension the magic academy, isn't full of rainbows or sunshine. Far from it, it's full of madness and death always looms nearby. There's even a political turmoil about civil rights for demi-humans/magical beasts. The world is solid and well-built. There is a sinister, dark tone all over the book, and I dig it.

Even with all the exposition about the world and magic, I don't feel like it's too much or feels like a drag, I find them all very fascinating (as you might be able to tell by how long I wrote about the excellent world-building), save for Nanao's extended backstory. Although I like the slow pace of the first half as I get to learn about the world, the latter half being fast-paced and action-packed is also very exciting and fun.

Of course, no story is complete without characters to move the plot and explore the world. The 6 main characters feel tropey but done well, especially Oliver (a nice guy and jack of all trades, but hiding something dark - as the point of view character, he has enough inconsistencies for the reveal to work and not feel out of the blue) and Nanao. With 6 main characters, there isn't enough time to fully flesh out all of them, but we can already see their main personalities and quirks. They're a lovable bunch already, I love their fun interactions.