The Spellbook Library is charming, blending magic, mystery, and self-discovery.
The artwork by Uta Isaki is beautiful, soft, and detailed. While the plot is engaging, it can drag a little at times imo. The characters are likable, though I think some could be more developed (but, to be real, this is only the first part).
Overall, I really liked it, and since this is only the beginning, I'm curious to see how the plot will develop. I recommend it!

The story follows the troublemaker and mysterious MCs that applied to spellbook library as a new entree. In this world, books contains magical beings that can be tamed or sealed (in the book).

The artwork is really cute, both magical beings and humans! It looks like the beginning story of a hero’s journey, I can’t wait to read the next book!

Volume 1 of The Spellbook Library is an excellent start to a manga series. It provides enough intrigue about our main characters that you want to know more about them without overshadowing the necessary world building. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

Non posso negare di aver richiesto questo manga perchè trattava di bibliotecari!
Impossibile non essere attratta da una storia che li inserisce come protagonisti!
Devo dire di esserne rimasta piuttosto soddisfatta, anche se essendo solo il primo volume, viene solo data una presentazione generale della figura del bibliotecario, delle varie specializzazioni e della sede della biblioteca, dove vengono custoditi tutti i volumi magici in cui sono sigillate creature magiche.

I protagonisti sono abbastanza variegati e sembrano nascondere tutti qualche segreto particolare.
Son curiosa di scoprire cosa gli aspetta e sopratutto se Yan, dopo la delusione ricevuta nell'incontrare il suo idolo, troverà un nuovo obiettivo per la sua vita.

Ci dovrebbero essere veramente più storie con bibliotecari come protagonisti! Perchè siamo superfighi e risolviamo tutti i vostri problemi!

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima!

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I can't deny that I requested this manga because it was about librarians!
It's impossible not to be attracted by a story that features them as protagonists!
I have to say that I was quite satisfied with it, even though since it's only the first volume, it only gives a general presentation of the librarian figure, of the various specializations and of the library's headquarters, where all the magical volumes, in which magical creatures are sealed, are kept.

The protagonists are quite varied and they all seem to hide some particular secret.
I'm curious to find out what awaits them and especially if Yan, after the disappointment he received in meeting his idol, will find a new goal for his life.

There really should be more stories with librarians as protagonists! Because we are super cool and we solve all your problems!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read it in preview!

I think this story was really cute. The first part of the book focused mainly on world-building so the plot was slower to start, which is understandable given the world that needed to be explained. I'm excited for future volumes to see where the story will go and how the characters grow throughout the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

1 word for it: Hypnotic!
The story follows about two kids who want to join this magical library and meets by accident. Yan who is a troublemaker while Tohru who is quite mysterious and we know very little about him. Vol 1 focuses on how they enter the library as they attempt to pass the exam for different reasons and hidden truths.
Overall I love the magic system, the story, and the plot. The drawing style is beautiful and the magical beasts are just attentively drawn. I sometimes found myself drifting away because of the pacing of the story as there are some characters which are just quite annoying but they are meant to be so. Overall Vol 1 ends on a cliff hanger and I cannot wait to read vol 2 to read what happened.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Kodansha Comics for providing a copy for review.

A very solid 4.5 stars ⭐️

I happened to be scrolling when the cover caught my attention. I’ve enjoyed a fair share of manga before, but my experience with shonen has been hit or miss. While some have caught my interest, others started to feel like variations on the same formula. But reading the synopsis, I had to give this one a try -- it seemed to be a lovely tribute to books and book lovers.

And I wasn’t disappointed. This is a shonen with librarians!

Overall, I enjoyed the worldbuilding that was revealed so far. The different departments, the entrance exam, the training. All were pretty fun to learn about and had me wondering what's to come next.

The characters, while so far very formulaic and predictable, have potential. I am curious about Yan and Tohru specifically, while really not caring for the princess. The side characters seem like they could be interesting too, but we haven’t seen quite enough of them yet to form strong impressions.

The art style is cute and expressive, and I loved the sketches included at the end of the volume. That said, I did find some of the action panels a bit hard to follow. The scenes often felt crowded with onomatopoeia that could be repetitive or confusing, so I sometimes skimmed these parts, hoping the dialogue would fill in the gaps.

If there’s one thing I’d like to see more of, it’s a sense of urgency. By the end of Volume 1, I still felt unclear about the main characters’ goals. We have one character who seems to be mostly mysterious (and probably has a hidden agenda), another whose simple ambition doesn’t require much to achieve, and a third who seems content just doing her job. While the worldbuilding definitely shines, this lack of drive makes it a bit harder to feel truly invested in the characters. At times, it felt like they were simply going through the motions.

Overall, I enjoyed this. The concept is delightful, and as a tribute to books and libraries, it has plenty of charm. I hope we get to see more of the characters and the worldbuilding in Volume 2.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

I loved this manga!
Recommended to all the fantasy and book lovers!

The art style is typical of this manga genre with beautiful characters and cute creatures
The characters are interesting and funny and the plot has mysteries that I can't wait to read about in the next volumes

Thanks to the author and publisher for making it available on NetGalley

Bold, dynamic art helps portray the excitement and energy of the two main characters Yan and Tohru as they enter the dangerous world of the Spellbook librarians. Tasked with sealing away dangerous Spellbeasts, the Librarians are responsible for keeping the townsfolk safe.

Yan, a former troublemaker, is joining the library to fulfil his life’s dream of repaying the kindness of the Librarians that rescued him as a child. Tohru has his own reasons for joining the library, and he certainly seems like there is more to him than first appears.

Together they find themselves thrust into a world of danger and intrigue, with many mysteries to solve.

This was a solid start to a series, with complex characters and a magical world that yearns to be explored.

I have really enjoyed the concept of the Spellbook library. This Vol 1 was a great way to introduce the reader into this world and make them want to know more

The Spellbook Library is the first book in this series. The story follows Yan, a young man who wants to become a Spellbook librarian after being saved by them when he was younger. He meets Tohru on the day that they try out to become librarians. They become friends and stay together during the trials. As they begin their journey to become librarians, they begin to realize that there is something special about Tohru.

The first book in this series was a fun, fast-paced story. Yan is a fun character who takes Tohru under his wing. I want to learn more about his background and what took place to bring him to the library. I enjoy his lighthearted nature and affable attitude. He jumps into the competition with Tohru and use their strengths to pass the trials. Tohru is a mysterious character who we learn very little about. His background is not revealed much in this story which makes you very interested to learn more. He is intelligent, but we know very little about his motivations. The side characters in the story are enjoyable as well. We meet several others who are hoping to become librarians as well as the princess who is the head of the public relations part of the library. Her character is hilarious and has some amazing funny moments that had me laughing out loud. The illustrations are detailed and beautiful in the book. This is definitely a series that I would love to continue reading.

I loved the concept of The Spellbook Library! A magic librarian's guild is awesome, and the added bonus of magical creatures that can be bound within the pages was fantastic. For me, I think I was just lacking the connection with the characters in this one. I wish I got to know them a little bit more. Overall though, a fun start to a new series! Great for magic lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley, Uta Isaki, and Kodansha Comics for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kondasha Comics for access to this proof copy for review.
The Spellbook Library is a magical library where magical creatures called spellbeasts are sealed within spellbook for the protection of the public.
We follow 3 characters closely within this volume, Yan and Tohru, prospective applicants to the Spellbook Library who are hoping to pass their exam and become librarians, and Emel, the princess of the kingdom who works in the PR department of the library.
Yan is very headstrong and impulsive whilst Tohru is much more level-headed and calm. This friendship duo works really well in the narrative and the characters really balance each other out. I loved their friendship, I could feel it emanating through the pages as I was reading. It truly enders you to both characters.
The princess on the other hand is a relatively unknown quantity. We don't learn too much about her yet other than, she knows something about Tohru and hints at him being more than he seems. I'm looking forward to learning more about Tohru and his character progression in volume 2. I also hope we find out more about Yan and Emel too.
I loved the concept of a library containing books that bind magical creatures within their pages. It's really interesting and a completely new style of magic for me. The art style is pretty classically manga. The illustrator truly brought movement and action to life within the pages.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Spellbook Library and my time reading it. I can't wait for the release of volume 2 to see how the story develops. This was a quick and easy read and I highly recommend it.

Easy to follow but is a bit slow for me. I think my students would enjoy it, but it just isn't for me.

3 stars

A sadly slow start, though the series has potential. There’s a good base for worldbuilding, along with the first few frames. But not much happens in this first volume. Oddly enough, I feel that too much time was spent on character development, to the detriment of the world and establishing a larger plot.

In the first chapters, aspiring librarians Yan and Thoru join forces for the Spellbook librarian tests. Now, as an actual librarian myself, I appreciated the test a lot. When asked to use all resources at their disposal to find a particular book in the library, the correct method is…ask a librarian. Duh.

While Yan and Thoru pass the entrance exam, their skill evaluation puts them at the bottom of their class, and into the Public Relations department. Which, despite being the least-prestigious department, somehow is led by the country’s princess? Who, as head of the PR department…is a really bland person. Very restrained personality. I get that it’s trying to make her mysterious, but she doesn’t even turn on charm or anything. No wonder the PR department has their own PR problem.

While the book tries to end with some excitement and a cliffhanger, it’s not enough to keep my attention. I don’t believe I’ll be returning to this particular library.

A boy tries to follow his dream and applies for a position at the infamous Spellbook Library. Things, however, don't go as he planned.
This was a cute story. I really liked the art style even though at times it looked meshed together and I couldn't really tell what was happening. The plot could have been a bit more fleshed out, something just felt a bit confusing and lost. Obviously it probably will go into more detail in later volumes it just felt like some things were skipped over. I still liked it but it wasn't a favorite and I am not sure if I would continue personally.

As someone who loves a library, I found this premise so intriguing and it did, with characters the felt well developed and the start of a story that could go so many places.

Our lead characters Yan and Tohru are well developed, particularly Yan who we learn the backstory for from the beginning of the story - and makes it clear why he wants this role in the library, however I felt there needed to be more for the supporting characters, even Torhu now in the moment was well thoughtout, didn't feel like they were a full character quite yet.

However the premise is interesting and definitely I'd delve in deeper too, with a really interesting magic system and of course this series has such a great premise for adventure, with characters than when given more volumes could be great.

Would love to read more to see where Yan and Tohru go next!

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc for review!)

ARC provided by NetGalley

I just, i just didn't like this one. It took me several tries to get into and I was stuck on the first chapter for so long, which hif you know me is extremely unusual for a manga. And once I finally just sat down and made myself read it I was definitely making myself read it. I was not having fun, I did not really want to continue, and I was a bit bored. There was just nothing here that grabbed me, nothing that made me care, I didn't like the characters, setting, or the magic system presented. A total miss for me.

Overall, I liked it. The illustrations are beautiful, and the world-building is intriguing. There’s also an emerging thread of mystery around the characters' backgrounds, which adds depth. Although a lot happens, the main storyline develops a bit slowly. Still, I consider this a strong introductory volume and would like to continue the series.
One issue I encountered is that the speech bubbles aren’t always liked to the speaking character. At the beginning, when we’re still unfamiliar with the characters and multiple people are speaking in a single panel, it can be challenging to determine who is saying what.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy of this book. 

I like the art style, though I feel it works best in the simpler, less action heavy panels. Some of the action panels have so much going on that it can be difficult to tell what you're looking at. I also found that some of the text gets lost on some of the more textured backgrounds, making it hard to read in places.

There isn't really much to say about this manga based solely on the first volume. It's a magical fantasy set in a library. If that's what you're interested in, then it will likely appeal to you. It feels like a good setup for the rest of the series. Currently, the manga seems to be very character driven, though I feel more character development is needed before judgment can be made on whether I like or dislike any of the characters. I'm intrigued by the mysterious powers and secrets of Tohru, but currently, they are the only character I feel has enough development to interest me.