I want to thank NetGalley, and  Kodansha Comics for this ARC.
This manga has a nice premise imagine magic, secret libraries, spells and monsters.

I expected a bit more, this is the first volume. Also some parts it was a bit too enigmatic.
I wanted to know more about the back story.

Love the premise and I'm looking forward to the next one.

The manga is entertaining, funny and enigmatic.

2.5
This graphic novel had a lot of potential, but in my opinion, it didn’t quite deliver. I do get it that it's just the first volume and... there's room for further development, but even so, the story felt a bit underwhelming. The art was engaging tho.

I would like to thank Netgalley for approving this arc for me in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the start to this series, with how the magic system is. The pairing between the two characters is fun, and I love the dialogue between the two, and also love how the story is going. I can't wait to read the next Manga volume.

A really fun start for a series!! The pacing was not super steady- some plot points moved very quickly, or seemed to drag. However, the characters were relatable and as a librarian I really enjoyed the magical library premise. I feel like teens will really enjoy this title! I'm looking forward to what comes next in the story.

As a fan of libraries and fantasy, I was excited to read this book, but the experience wasn't as great as what I hoped for. The book starts off messy, with some confusion about who the main character is.


Early on, not much happens. It’s mostly exposition and world building, but it’s not executed well, making it feel like an info dump. It only really finds its stride and picks up pace later on. But by the end, you're left wanting more.


I feel like that intruige would be over by the next volume. This is a decent start for a new series, but it doesn’t leave you feeling satisfied with just this volume.


Thank you NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book.

I thought this was an interesting story with an engaging concept. I found it a bit hard to follow in places and would have liked more of an introduction or back story, but it was a good adventure and interesting to read. I liked the characters and the artwork was great!

Loved the characters and the plot-progression. Secrets, quirky characters and mysterious magical creatures come together in this Manga to build up the plot. I absolutely loved the humour and the character dynamics of this story. Looking forward to reading volume 2.

A good start. I had read two other standalone books by the author before, so I'm interested to see how it develops as a saga. ⭐3.8⭐

The library concept was interesting and inquisitive. The characters were cute and were comical too 😂😂 the supervisors were definitely smart and had gone thru a different training all together!
Wating for volume 2!!
The illustrations were a masterpiece! Extremely well done

Super interested in this story. I loved the concept and the artwork. I can’t wait to find out more about the backstories of these characters

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A really fun start to a manga, and I hope to read more! I really enjoyed this introduction to the characters and the world. I want to see more spellbeasts and learn more about the different departments of the library! I took a star off for the funky pacing, but I do want to continue reading because I am so intrigued.

I love libraries and magic so that caught my eye immediately. I think thus was a fun and easy read, great for someone looking for some quick entertainment. I think the characters could come across more stronger. Like, they come across a bit milquetoast. I loved the princess chara ter though. Looking forward to trying the next instalment.

My daughter requested this book on my account. She is an avid reader, and her favorite style is the anime style. She read this book lightening fast. I could tell she loved it. I kept trying to talk to her, and she was too engrossed in the book to acknowledge me.

This was such a fun title, it was an intriguing premise with interesting characters and I definitely want to keep reading this series.

***ARC from NetGalley ***

Another reviewer referred to this story as chaotic and that is the perfect description. I love that this is set in a library and I will definitely keep reading this series. However, there were several times where I was unable to determine what I was looking at, which took away from the story,

That said, I want to know what Yan and Tohru get up to next and why the Princess is so suspicious of Yan, or is it Tohru?

As a library staff member, I was very excited to see this manga and had to request an ARC. I t is such a wonderful start to a very promising story of the protectors of the library.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this arc!!

5/5 stars

This was such a fun and exciting read! This is such an imaginative fantasy story, and love letter to libraries and librarians. The magic system is really cool, the creatures we've seen so far are interesting, and the art style is really pretty! I'm super excited to read more of this, especially with the cliffhanger it ends on!!

I have a passion for books and fantasy, so a story centered around a magical library naturally piques my interest. In this manga, two unlikely friends attempt to gain entry to the magical library. Throughout the process, they face trials that demonstrate not only their skills but also the strength of their growing friendship.
This sets the stage for a charming and cozy narrative. However, I found some of the storytelling to be somewhat clichéd. I eagerly anticipate further exploration of this fantastical setting. The artwork is truly enchanting, with my favorite illustrations being those of the magical creatures that are the transportation on the town's streets.

"The Spellbook Library" will appeal to readers of the "Library Wars" manga. It is a quick read that will capture the imagination of readers who like books with bookish and magical themes. The elements of spellbeasts are reminiscent of the wonder and danger of encountering magical creatures in "Fantastic Beasts".

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Uta Isaki for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

In a tale as old as time, young and brawny troublemaker Yan is ready to turn his life around to join the Spellbook Librarians, the enigmatic protectors of the realm who use libraries like knights use swords to research, tame, and capture the wild magical beasts that prowl the realm. Yan hopes to repay a debt to the Spellbook Librarians who saved his life when he was a child, and he's put everything he has into studying for the entrance exam and shaking his past shady reputation. On the day of his exam he has an unexpected in with a timid young boy named Tohru who has his own mysterious motivations for wanting to joining the library as well. Together they set off to face their futures and the long and winding road to becoming Spellbook Librarians.

I think this manga has potential to be a new and fun fantasy-heavy series, and I'm curious to see where it goes! There's a lot of things to love here - a library-based magic system, mysteries from the get-go, the school dynamics, potential for political intrigue amongst some of the characters, scalable magical beasts to trap, and some of the goofy antics that come with following around teenage boys. In future novels I'd love to see some more character backgrounds and more explanation into the magic system, but that's the hard part about starting a new series - you can't binge for the answers and are thus left on the edge of your seat.