Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, this was wonderful! I have never thought I could be a fan of anime or manga, and this changed my mind. The drawings are exquisite, the story exciting. I am waiting for the sequels!

I definitely got this one thinking it was manga, so I was surprised by the deep novel I received!

This is maybe a bit heavier than I was expecting - I was hoping for very romance focused and character driven.

I'm not sure if I would continue this series - just because I haven't been into super heavy and intricate plots like this recently.

Thank you for the ARC.

It did take me longer to get through this then I had planned but only since I was unable to read the ARC through kindle and the watermark was a little distracting.

I originally thought that this was a manga, but was pleasantly surprised by not be a manga. The images in the book were gorgeous.

I had so many issues accessing and reading this book that it seemed likely I would dnf, however I am glad I managed to finish as the afterword of this book truely made me reconsider the story I had just read.

The world of this series is incredibly magical yet simple. Humans have been granted powers to bring forth the seasons.

Initially, I viewed this premise as uncomplicated however it is clear the author has put a great depth of thought into the implications that such powers would have politically, socially and on the mental health of the agents.

The writing was my main issue when reading as it felt like it lacked flow with constant flashbacks, inner thoughts and so many ellipses. However, I’m not one to hold what may be simply translation errors at fault when the story was so interesting.

Overall, fairly interesting premise and I hope to be able to read and enjoy the other remaining volumes!

Thankyou, Yenpress and Netgalley for an arc of this book for an honest review

Surprisingly delightful! Initially anticipating a manga, this turned out to be a charming light novel. Brimming with amazing characters, romance, and a touch of fantasy, it's worth a try for those seeking an enjoyable read. A solid 3-star recommendation!

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

DNF at 8%. I hated the way Spring spoke. Completely, 100% HATED it. I refused to subject myself to 92% more of it and threw in the towel before it became a hate read.

This was completely a "me" problem and not a "book" problem. It has a good concept, but that wasn't enough for this reader. YMMV

2, I didn't hate the book, just the speech pattern of the MC h, stars.

I love shoujo manga and so I love the FMC’s goal in the story. I feel though that a lot of feelings weren’t drawn out to make Yuuki’s “wish” seem so hard to achieve.

I also think that too many things are happening in the first volume to really digest all the emotions the mangaka wants readers to feel. It was quite difficult to get invested in the story because it was moving too fast.

Overall it does have potential and is possibly something I would have read when I was younger.

4 stars
I will say the pacing of this novel is a bit slow and this is not a manga! I did enjoy the four seasons story but it was confusing.

This light novel begins a series centered around the origin of the four seasons, and the agents who keep the cycle turning. It first follows Hinagiku, the Agent of Spring, who returns after a decade of disappearance and does not return just with her chosen season, but a brave decision to face the trauma and regret of what happened ten years ago.

Like many others, I mistakenly thought this was a manga, and I don't have much experience with light novels. I enjoyed the lovely artwork and the unique formatting for things like flashback pages, but overall I didn't enjoy my reading experience. It was really hard to get into in the beginning because of Hinagiku's speaking patterns, and I didn't particularly enjoy Sakura as a character right away. I think I enjoyed Rosei more overall, especially with the dip into darker themes, but overall the story didn't captivate me and I was a little confused on the purpose of the Agents and relation to the seasons.

I personally won't be continuing, but if you enjoy stories about reconciling mistakes and dark pasts as well as worldbuilding centered around the four seasons, I would recommend you give this a try. I've heard the physical version especially is quite lovely!

Thanks netgalley for a review copy.

This book took me by suprise!
I first tought it would be a manga but it was a lovely light novel.
If you love amazing characters, romance and a good dash of fantasy give it a try!
I am for sure going to buy the other volumes when they come out.

Really good and easy going story. It was my first book of this author so I grateful Netgalley for providing it to me. Nice combine of romance and nature seasons. I always like winter and in this story I really enjoy description of Agent of winter. Sometimes it’s was a little bit hard with Japanese names but in common this story is a good adventure

I always love when they turn manga series into actual books. It is so interesting to see how important the artwork is within a manga, but also that our imagination when we read can really take off. This was a delightful read, and I will always recommend manga that is transferred into novel style.

When I asked for this book, I anticipated a Manga, not a novel. However, I'm pleasantly surprised. The story delves deeper than I expected, with a focus on the four seasons, particularly spring and winter. A notable misunderstanding leads to significant trauma and pain. The narrative is intriguing, and even the side characters are engaging. Looking forward to seeing where it goes in book 2. Thanks to Netgallery and Kana Akatsuki for the opportunity to read this book.

Sweet, heartfelt, emotional, and impactful. As someone who lives in a high traffic manga and light novel area, I can already see how this is going to stick with a lot of readers. Beautiful art, too!

I was intrigued by the cover and wanted to give this a try!

Agents of the Four Seasons are an interesting story to tell. At first i was not fully invested into the story but it got better I read on.

It is emotional, loving, and sad.

The illustrations are cute.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

I really enjoyed reading this book and had such a great time. The characters were great and plotline was good. Also the illustration was top notch!

I read about 44% of the book. I thought the premise was very promising, but I think it just fell short for me.
I did enjoy how I felt like I was watching an anime in the beginning and the illustrations throughout the book were so cute. I think I just started getting confused as to what the purpose of the Agent of Spring was, and the POV switched a lot throughout the paragraphs to different characters without a stop or telling it was being switched. So, it was a little hard to understand and keep up.

Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1
by Kana Akatsuki (Author); Suoh (Illustrator)
4.9/5 ✨🌸🌼🌻☀️🍂🍄🪺❄️☃️

I feel so, so lucky to have stumbled across this beautiful story. What a sheer gift this title was to consume! I honestly kept stopping myself from reading it because I didn’t want it to end! So, my apologies and my fault this review is a little late.

I want to start by answering the afterword left by the author. This title found me in the season of Winter ❄️, just beginning. Autumn doesn’t want to let go just yet. No flowers are blooming, but the cool breeze is always nearby to remind me that Winter is on the way. To feel the authors support to keep on pushing and living despite of it all was exactly the message I needed to hear in this season of my life. It’s amazing how the world brings you the books you need, if you’re only willing to listen.

You have succeeded in making my world a little bit kinder; you gave me something more than wonderful. This story was gut wrenching and soul embracing all in one. I absolutely loved it. The beautiful images sprinkled throughout only added to the magic of this story. This did reach me and it did make me sad; but it gave me hope and happiness again. I cannot even begin to explain to you how thankful I am that you took time within the limited time we have to write this story. It was so beautiful.

I cannot wait for the second volume of this story. I am waiting with bated breath! I can’t wait to snag a physical copy of this book as well. It’s truly a work of art I cannot wait to have on my forever shelf. This story is laced with pure magic and will both destroy and rebuild you. Please don’t hesitate and read this title!! It’s so beautiful. 🥹🩵

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, illustrator and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!! 🩷📚

An emotional story of regret, trauma and forgiveness coupled with romance in a world where the seasons are called upon by those chosen as God’s representatives.

This is a light novel with a beautiful, eye-catching cover sparking themes of romance and opposite character personalities. Although the latter is evident, this story is far from romance centric.

The plot of this story is unique and interesting. Our story starts with Lady Hinagiku and Lady Sakura bringing Spring quietly, with reminiscences of the past. A past that has not only affected them but also the Agent of Winter, Lord Rosei and his retainer, Lord Itecho as well as the countless people waiting for Spring. A kidnapping that occurred ten years ago in the Town of Winter, and is forever living with these four characters, every waking moment. While painting the beauty of the land and world, this book slowly uncovers the mystery of what happened ten years ago and the impact it had.

This volume depicts trauma, anger, greed, repentance, torture, loneliness and suicidal thoughts. It weaves these emotions and feelings with love, hope, trust, sadness, forgiveness and acceptance. This story beautifully portrays these emotions and many more, interweaving them with each character’s flaws, their strengths and actions.

This book is loosely divided into four parts; introducing the four Agents and their retainer. However the story primarily focuses on the Agent of Spring, Lady Hinagiku and her retainer, Lady Sakura. The strength and courage Lady Hinagiku shows is truly commendable and inspiring as she looks on with purpose in her life. Although my heart cried for Lady Hinagiku’s circumstances and her ordeal, I wanted to read more about Lord Rosei. To me, Lord Rosei’s situation is worrisome because he’s depicted as a character with suicidal thoughts; hated by some and disliked by most; and fearing for his life as the Agent of the most disliked season, Winter.

The physical copy of volume one has a beautiful pull out page, with gorgeous artwork of each Agent and their retainer as well as short character introductions. There are also darkened pages to represent flashbacks or dreams. Lastly, there is artwork throughout representing the most emotional and heart wrenching scenes as well as the beautiful and gentle Spring beauty.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It started off slow and repetitive but gradually builds a tale of broken hearts and overflowing emotions. This volume ends with a promise of action and many unknowns so I’m looking forward to picking up the next volume.

From the creators of Violet Evergarden comes this promising urban fantasy, set in the otherworldly Yamato, where humans harness the power of the seasons, and where divinity and deities set in motion a string of events that can shake their whole world.

Agents of the Four Seasons has everything: living with PTSD, the angst & rekindled embers of the heart for old paramours, devoted retainers and their unwavering bonds with their Agents, seasons and godly vessels, conspiracies of the magical and political kind. All of these woven in Kana Akatsuki's lush prose and worldbuilding, this book is an Experience. What intrigued me the most was the character relationships between Hinagiku, Rosei, Sakura and Itecho -- of whom these four set into motion the major conflicts in this book, stemming from an event triggered 10 years ago, that is affecting them and the world they live in at the present.

All of these story elements are in Akatsuki's wheelhouse, and this was a fantastic first volume - offering a look into the world of Yamato, the workings of bonds that help retain the humanity within the divine, a cast of characters with an equal amounts of intriguing relationships and character dynamics, and most importantly, as with her previous work, dissects the many facets of human emotions, all forms of love, and healing from trauma. The lovely illustrations rendered by Suoh complemented the mood of the story and I can’t wait to see where it will go from here!

Thank you so much to Yen Press for providing me a digital ARC of one of my anticipated reads of the year! Disclaimer that this in no way affects my review and all opinions are my own.