An interesting new entry into the manga space; the art is lush and the action well-plotted, but the voices of the characters felt off. not sure is it is a difference in culture or translation, but some of the Mains, especially Spring, were either not well fleshed out or had weird syntactical patterns which made them hard to read.

i could not finish this. The main characters way of talking made me cringe and made me look at her as childish. She is 16 year olds yet acts soooo much younger, its bad. I just found the writing to be childish. I also was confused, i didnt really know what the point was, also the switching of povs mid chapters with little to no indicator made me the most confused. I just did not enjoy this. The characters and the writing.

DNF. The writing itself wasn’t bad, but I felt very confused at times and I personally didn’t like the POV switching and and some of the dialogue felt off. Some of the illustrations were cute, and I think the concept is interesting.

DNF.

Unfortunately the watermark on each page of the book made this unreadable for me, it was way too distracting on the white pages.

From what I did read the writing seemed easy to read, however the main character does speak in third person which I think would have grated on me as time went on. I hope that it would stop at some point but didn’t read far enough to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.

The cover of the book immediately drew me in, and although I looked forward to the premise of the book, the execution and writing style threw me off. Likely originally in Japanese, the translation to English fell short of the nuances in syntax and culture.

I dnf’d at 30% and just couldn’t finish it each time I tried.

I really like the premise of it and found the characters interesting but things were moving too slow and the writing style wasn’t my favorite. I saw that there is going to be a manga form of the story so I’ll try that out and see if the story being broken up into a bit less words help me get through it.

"Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1: Dance of Spring, Part I" by Kana Akatsuki is a profound and emotionally charged journey that demands a certain mindset from its readers. This volume is not simply a novel; it is a work of art that delves deep into the complexities of human emotions, painting a vivid picture of trauma, anger, repentance, torture, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts, interwoven with themes of love, hope, trust, sadness, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Akatsuki's stylized writing and composition, including fragmented prose and sudden black pages, add a unique dimension to the storytelling, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the raw emotions depicted on the page. Each character is flawlessly crafted, with their strengths, flaws, and actions blending seamlessly with the spectrum of emotions portrayed throughout the narrative.

Approaching this volume as an art piece rather than a traditional novel allows readers to fully experience the depth and richness of the story. The poetic and introspective writing style enhances the emotional impact of the narrative, inviting readers to reflect on the characters' experiences and internal struggles.

It's important to note that this is volume one, not book one, signifying a substantial focus on world-building and character introductions. "Agents of the Four Seasons" is a heartfelt journey that navigates the darker corners of the human psyche, touching on themes that may require trigger warnings for some readers (which was never addressed at the start of the novel). Proceed with caution and openness, as you embark on this moving exploration of emotions and human experiences.

A massive thank you to netgalley for allowing me to review this beautiful book.

This light novel is really interesting, with a unique plot. It's always tricky when a Japanese light novel is translated, especially with the nuances that can be lost in translation. But this was done well and I enjoyed it a lot. I like the concept of seasons in this novel and I like the main characters.

I really did not like it. I had high hopes for it being a light, easy read. Sadly that wasn’t the case. I dnf-ed at 11%. I just couldn’t put myself through reading the dialogue any longer. The agent of spring has a childlike, introverted/hesitant way of speaking. Time and time again it took me out of the story. She also talks in third person. Last time I read something that had a person speak in a similar manner, it was trashta from ‘remarried empress’. It worked for trashta knowing that she’s the antagonist but it’s a different story for our main heroine, Hinagiku. What could have made it better was if the author just described her demeanor and her speech pattern in the beginning, incorporated it for maybe 2 pages and then ween of it so that it’d be more digestible for readers.

But here’s an example of her speech pattern: “Hey…Sakura. Could you…go…look for…her parents? Hinagiku will…stay with her…while you…bring…them here”

Just a reminder, Hinagiku is the speaker’s name, talking in third person. This continues on and on, there’s probably more periods than words on a single page.

Sadly, this wasn’t my cup of tea but dont let my bad experience stop you from picking up the series.

Thank you NetGallery and Yen Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Pretty prose, mystical setting, interesting characters! The dynamics of the seasons were fun to learn about.

* Thanks to the publisher Yen Press via Netgalley for an ebook.

The fantasy elements in this are great! Oh my, I was hooked with the seasons and how they worked. The writing though sometimes was just too much of me. The pacing was off and I just wanted it to end.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Netgalley send me and arc but this is my honest opinion.

I like the concept of seasons. It is an interesting take. It’s just that I am not enjoying the writing. It’s a bit boring for me. And I get confuse between Spring and her bodyguard (retainer) name. Especially because its a little similar so when they call Sakura by her last name. I get it mix up with Hinagiku halfway through the novel. I also do not like how there are so many changes of POV’s. I am invested in the relationships (the main couples and their retainers) but I think I will pick up the manga instead of the light novel.

3.75 stars
I was initially a little taken aback when I received the ARC, mainly because I was expecting it to be a manga, not a novel. Still, nonetheless, that didn’t hinder my experience in the slightest. Still, it was a unique concept (I haven’t read anything where ordinary people are used as a conduit for the weather) where children are born with powers to bring about the weather.
I am hoping the author dives a little deeper into each season’s agent in the upcoming novels. Because even though they have the same responsibility they have different methods of bringing about the change in the seasons. The reaction of the adults although very realistic was a little off-putting considering their opinions regarding their agents.
I do hope the this series gets picked up as an anime because the storyline would be translated really well into one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really good and cute! I loved the magical concept of the seasons!! Very cool! Can’t wait to see more of this story!

Title: Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1
Dance of Spring, Part I
by Kana Akatsuki (Author); Suoh (Illustrator)

Release Date: November, 21st, 2024

3.5 Stars

"Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1" takes readers on a captivating journey through a world where the seasons are not just weather patterns, but entities guided by chosen representatives.

Hinagiku, the Vernal Agent, returns after a decade to restore balance to the cycle of seasons, bringing with her a tale of love, regret, and redemption.

While expecting a manga, I found myself engrossed in a novel that delves deep into the emotional complexities of its characters. The story explores themes of trauma, forgiveness, and the interconnectedness of the seasons, painting a vivid picture of a world where emotions and natural elements intertwine.

Despite some initial surprise, I was pleasantly drawn into the intricate plot and richly depicted emotions. "Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1" is a unique and compelling read that leaves a lasting impression.



Thank you to The Publisher Yen Press | Yen On , The Author Kana Akatsuki & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed the concept and the lore. The characters were also pretty good and I'm quite endeared by them. I'm looking forward on the next one.

DNF. I am so disappointed by this! The cover is beautiful, and I loved the concept, but the execution was lackluster. If this was ever made into an anime, I'd probably give it a chance just to see if the problems I had with the reading experience aren't as unbearable. 

A lot of it came down to personal taste. The female main character talks in the third person, pauses a lot, and sounds childlike even though she's sixteen. There is a reason for this explained early on, but I couldn't even think about continuing with it for the whole volume, and it's a rather large light novel!

There was also a scene in the first part wherethe death of a minor character's parent is mentioned, and it's way too early for me in my own healing journey to be reading about that. It was supposed to be a heartwarming scene, but all it did was make me sad. 

Two stars for the concept and some of the writing being beautifully written. I'm sure many will love this, sadly it's not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am ALWAYS looking for new manga series, especially Shojo and Josei, and am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this first volume! I'm definitely picking up a physical copy for myself, and I can't wait to read the next installments.

This light novel was quite cute. I also thought it was a manga when I requested but I do love light novels so I wasn’t upset about this surprise!

I feel like I went through a barrage of human emotions while readings this. The main characters experience trauma, joy and all manner of things in between. The storyline, while not extremely heavy, does contain some heavier elements (such as kidnapping) that have ramifications.

If you like light novels with drama and romance I definitely recommend it!

Cute light novel. I too was expecting a manga, but was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you netgalley for a chance to read this.