thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of meikyuu. this was a manga light novel and was pretty good, i do enjoy a cool and different fantasy book

It was an amazing story and I got so caught up!! I really need more from this characters and I can't wait fir the next volumes

I picked this up because I trust Iori Miyazawa (who is the author of my fav, Otherside Picnic), but it wasn’t quite as engaging as OP. I think the issue is really that we don’t get enough real character development for the supporting cast. Our MC Taiga is an archetype for the ikesai (ie transported to another world) story: he’s supremely capable, a bit of a loner, and suddenly very much in over his head when he becomes an important figure to a group of fantasy world characters.

But Mizuho and Troach especially presented a perfect opportunity to really dig into the world. We got a couple of snatches of it (like the way people’s houses are small and packed with people, and how open spaces and bright lights terrify them), but it felt a little bit too much like “eh, you’d understand everything if you picked up the source material”

Speaking of, the setting was awesome. A three dimensional dungeon/maze full of monsters and tiny civilizations that can reorient suddenly and violently and permanently? Yes please! I want to learn more about the RPG this is based on.

The last two years I have dived deep into my college love of manga and my new love of light novels, specifically portal novels, where the MC is from our world and is sucked into another world, usually fantasy and usually sucked into the life of a person in the fantasy world. Also the light novels that I read, the MC is usually a teenage/young adult female and it tends to have romance as a good part of the plot, as well as humor.

This one is different, as the MC is a male in his mid-30s with a very specific skill set of SAS training and he's sucked into the fantasy world as himself, he isn't put into the body of someone already there. He also maintains his age and full knowledge of his life from Earth.

It's also action and adventure, but realistic. No hint of romance, he and the people he is with are all just trying to survive. Very D&D and when I read the end notes, the creator clearly states this is based off of a role playing game. Nothing wrong with that and I really enjoyed it.

The artwork where it was was GORGEOUS. That last picture with the MC H and the SPOILERY creature was EPIC and BEAUTIFUL. I want that as a poster on my wall.

I can see this being enjoyed by those in the gaming community and those who already appreciate manga/light novels and want something different than the romance-portal tropes. (Not that there is anything wrong with those tropes, I eat them up like CANDY. The heart wants what the heart wants!)

This is definitely one I recommend. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 because that artwork and the MC H are just too amazing. It was really interesting being in his head. The tactics made me think of MB a little.

My thanks to NetGalley and Yen Press Yen On for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

☆☆☆☆,25 /5
(english review below)

Les Light Novels sont un type de romans que j’apprivoise encore. Mon premier ayant été une déception et mon deuxième ayant été presque un coup de cœur… Évidemment, j’ai mis toutes les chances de mon côté pour cette lecture-ci. On part sur du fantastique, plus spécifiquement du isekai… Un genre que j’apprécie tout particulièrement que ce soit pour mes lectures de romans ou de mangas.
Et franchement, j’ai adoré suivre l’aventure de Taiga dans ce nouveau monde.
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Le soldat expert Taiga vient de prendre sa retraite de l'armée après vingt ans de service. Apathique, il décide qu'une visite dans son pays natal, le Japon, l'aidera à comprendre quoi faire ensuite. Mais il n'y arrivera jamais. Un étrange tremblement de terre dans l'aéroport a lieu et il se voit mourir. Néanmoins, au lieu de cela, il se réveille à Million Dungeon, un monde labyrinthique de cavernes, de royaumes, de magie... et de monstres. La clé de la survie est apparemment de créer sa propre nation, mais même avec toute l'expérience de Taiga, les dangers incroyables peuvent s'avérer trop importants...
¤
Taiga était militaire. Il oeuvrait dans une unité spéciale et secrète mais maintenant que son visage est connu du public, à cause d’une erreur stupide, il est forcé de trouver un autre travail. Pourtant, son travail en tant que soldat pour le Régiment représentait toute sa vie. Dès les premières pages, j’ai été touchée par le protagoniste, par sa confusion, par le sentiment de vide qu’il ressent maintenant qu’il réalise qu’il ne pourra plus faire ce pour quoi il s’est entraîné toute sa vie. C’est comme si on lui arrachait sa raison de vivre et honnêtement son état d’esprit m’a bouleversée.
Mais, alors que Taiga allait prendre l’avion afin de s’exiler quelque temps pour se réorienter, il se fait soudainement poursuivre et tombe dans un monde parallèle. Un monde totalement différent de ce qu’il a toujours connu. Un monde rempli de magie. Un monde dévasté par les catastrophes naturelles et les guerres entre les différents royaumes.
J’ai beaucoup apprécié suivre l’adaptation du protagoniste dans ce nouvel univers et au fil des rencontres qu’il effectue. C’était réaliste et fascinant. Réaliste car Taiga se retrouvera démuni dans ce nouvel environnement mais il saura alors puiser dans tout ce qu’il a appris dans sa vie de militaire pour l’utiliser à son avantage. Fascinant car Taiga possède énormément de savoir, de savoir-être et de savoir-faire. Le voir se souvenir de toutes ses connaissances, les appliquer et les transmettre à ses nouveaux compagnons m’a impressionné et m’a justement fait réaliser tout le vécu que l’homme a dû avoir dans sa vie de militaire. Pourtant, malgré son charisme et son leadership, Taiga est modeste, humble et ne se considère pas au-dessus des autres. Au contraire, il ne cesse de penser à autrui et valorise les qualités de son entourage. Vraiment, vous l’aurez compris, j’ai beaucoup accroché à notre protagoniste.
Également, j’ai énormément apprécié découvrir le monde parallèle dans lequel tombe Taiga. Million Dungeon est un vrai labyrinthe de royaumes et de monstres. Au début, les informations que nous transmettait l’auteur dans les premières pages me semblaient compliquées car je me sentais noyée sous le texte. On a beaucoup d’informations, en même temps que le protagoniste et finalement, je me suis sentie aussi perdue que lui. Pour autant, dès que l’intrigue a été lancée, j’ai été emportée par le fonctionnement de cet univers en labyrinthe.
C’est un premier tome qui se veut introductif mais dans lequel, il se passe quand même beaucoup de chose. On va parler d’adaptation dans un nouveau milieu et de survie.

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ENGLISH REVIEW:

Light Novels are a type of novel that I still get to grips with. My first was a disappointment and my second was almost a five stars readings... Obviously, I put all the chances on my side for this book. It’s a fantasy book, more specifically a isekai book... A genre that I particularly appreciate whether it’s for my reading of books or mangas.
And honestly, I loved following Taiga's adventure in this new world.
¤
Expert soldier Taiga has just retired from the military after twenty years of service. Listless, he decides a visit to his homeland of Japan will help him figure out what to do next. But he never arrives. A strange earthquake in the airport seems to spell his demise, but instead it transports him to Million Dungeon, a labyrinthine world of caverns, kingdoms, magic...and monsters. The key to survival is apparently creating his own nation, but even with all of Taiga’s experience, the incredible dangers may prove too much...
¤
Taiga was a soldier. He used to work in a special and secret unit but now that his face is known to the public, due to a stupid mistake, he’ forced to find another job. Yet his work as a soldier for the Regiment was all his life. From the first pages, I was touched by the protagonist, by his confusion, by the feeling of emptiness he feels now that he realizes that he will no longer be able to do what he has trained for all his life... He’s like being ripped out of his reason for living and honestly his state of mind has bowled me over.
But, as Taiga was about to take the plane to go into exile for a while to reorient himself, he suddenly fell into a parallel world. A whole different world from what he's always known. A world filled with magic. A world devastated by natural disasters and wars between different kingdoms.
I really enjoyed watching the protagonist adapt to this new world and through his meetings. It was realistic and fascinating. Realistic because Taiga will find himself helpless in this new environment, but he will then be able to draw on everything he has learned in his military life and use it to his advantage. Fascinating because Taiga has a lot of knowledge, skills and know-how. Seeing him remember all his knowledge, apply it and pass it on to his new companions impressed me and made me realize how much life a man must have had in his military life. Yet despite his charisma and leadership, Taiga is modest, humble, and doesn’t consider himself above others. On the contrary, he never stops thinking of others and values the qualities of those around him. Really, you will understand, I really liked our protagonist.
Also, I really enjoyed discovering the parallel world that Taiga falls into. Million Dungeon is a real labyrinth of kingdoms and monsters. At first, the information the author gave us in the first few pages seemed complicated to me because I felt drowned under the text. We have a lot of information, along with the protagonist and in the end, I felt as lost as him. However, as soon as the plot was launched, I was carried away by this labyrinthine universe.
This is a first book that is meant to be introductory but in which a lot is going on nonetheless. We are going to talk about adaptation in a new environment and survival.

Meikyuu: Labyrinth Kingdom, a Tactical Fantasy World Survival Guide was an interesting story and a good look into the genre as a whole but it wasn't really my cup of tea as I've never been into the isekai genre at all. However, I would recommend this series to beginners for isekai as it is a nice entry into this type of manga, anime and light novels.