Rated 4/5 due to its unique premise. While I'm intrigued to continue, I know this is not going to be a manga/series for everyone.

This volume is much more "setting up the duo MC's status quos" and generally less action-based. This could change in later volumes.
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The manga, "Spellbook Library" by Uta Isaki gives an unique premise as spell books being more like "creature collectors" and "spell collectors." Imagine rather than learning from spell books, these books are instead used to temporary "seal" or rather capture creatures and sometimes spells. Certainly, not a premise anyone would expect when the default is "learning"/reading from spell books.

The implied lore and how spell books works is fascinating. Easy to understand though that like other video game creature capture devices, there are ranks to "seal" creatures into these books. There is a "capacity" limit rather than luck-based like said video game examples out there.

The two protagonists play off each other well. I'm personally more of a fan of Yan (glasses MC) over Tohru (black-haired MC). I can see Tohru appealing more to the shonen genre enjoyers. I personally like Yan for being a bit more of a character archetype breaker and his own kind of quirky. Tohru has an implied secret that is a little confusing to how it might fit in with the "spellbook" premise, but I'm happy to learn more on him.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author-illustrator for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I hope the release goes well.

This manga was so interesting! The beginning was a little slow, but once we got through the first chapter or two I found myself really enjoying the characters and the world they are in. I am intrigued by the magical library used to store all of the creatures, it is so cool! I think this manga has a lot of potential, and I am excited to see where it goes from here. Also, the art is very cute and I like the character designs.

I really like the premise of a library that houses magical creatures inside books and the training aspects are fun, but the characters don't have much depth and the action sequences are hard to follow. Still, I did like it enough to give the next volume a shot.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Received via NetGalley.

Interesting theme, but not that great of lines. I didnot find it very interesting to read, even though mangas are really easy going. The spark was missing and the art was okayish.

Unfortunately, I lost a bit of motivation to finish this manga, but I stuck with it nonetheless.

The story is interesting, but the pace, especially after the beginning, is inconsistent. I plan to continue to see if it improves, as many aspects are fascinating.

I really wanted to like this. I was interested for the first 25% but ended up not caring at all and wanting it to just be over. The storyline failed to capture me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This reminds me of Library Wars and Black Clover. Very intriguing world and characters, however, feels too short to me to understand a lot of what was happening towards the end. Because of these points, I have to give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars

I am down for any book or library themed fantasy. At least to try it but I fear this one was lighter on plot than I care for. I feel like there’s a manga style that’d heavy on action and slow on moving the story along and while I’ll watch the dumbest movies sometimes if the explosions are pretty and exciting I need a bit more plot and character development in my reading material than in my viewing material. With that said if it were an anime on a streaming service I had I’d absolutely watch the first episode because I’d probably like it in that format. So for the right reader three stars probably isn’t enough.

I feel the manga has some great potential. It jumps straight into action and you learn as you go along side the characters. It’s definitely an interesting story, this first volume was pretty solid, I’m interested to see how the upcoming ones will be. The art is also nice, the characters look adorable and the design looks great.

I am a sucker for by book set in a library but this was even better than I was expecting! The concept of magical beasts being stored in books and then a library is just so cool and the artwork really lived up to the concept. I liked the mystery around everyone’s background/history particularly Thoru amd the Princess and hope we’ll get to find out more soon. Off to see where I can download volume 2 :)

What a fun little read. This one has a lot of potential. It was intriguing and the story line keeps you curious for what comes next. I look forward to reading future volumes. The art style is simple yet nice. Great start!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

The Spellbook Library follows Yan on his journey to become a Spellbook Librarian. Yan meets Tohru at his employment exam and the two hit it off as both have their reasons for working at the library. The atmosphere in this book was very magical very akin to a storybook. I think the worldbuilding so far is entertaining and I can see more being unveiled about the world and the spellbeasts. I recommend this series for fans of Magus of the Library and Witch Hat Atelier.

I really liked the concept. It could have done with being a bit longer to really explain the setting and get grounded in it.

The society outside the library wasn't really explored. Characters mention royalty and commoners but nothing more than that, not enough to get a real idea of social hierarchy and how it affects the characters.

It's a good start to an interesting manga. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Brief summary: An unlikely pair unite to pass the library entrance exams for the Spellbook Library: one with a history of anger and violence and the other who grew up sheltered and mostly alone (assumption). The magic system is unique and adventurous. In fact, the spellbooks aren’t just for reading, but also for capturing spellbeasts! The artwork is wonderful, and the depictions of the library are truly marvelous.


My review: I picked this manga on NetGalley for two reasons: magic and libraries. As someone with a Master’s in Library and Information Science, I appreciate how Isaki develops a new library system that is similar to real-life libraries. After reading volume 1, I am invested in both the plot and the character development. However, I found that it wasn’t always clear which character was speaking; it seemed like the text bubbles did not connect to any one character. Additionally, the grammar/sentence structure could be improved (e.g. “there’re” is spoken but I’ve never seen it written. At the same time, I do appreciate the use of colloquial/spoken language). Regardless, I think Isaki has developed a great manga with interesting characters, a new magic system, and most importantly: books! I look forward to the next volume.

Themes: fantasy, adventure, coming of age/personal development

This is a fast paced story full of fun and magic alike. The main characters are so different but they compliment each other and it helps them achieve their goals. The enchanted library setting is skillfully crafted and beautifully executed. The concept and setting of this book seem fresh and intriguing.

3 stars

The story opens up with a kid named Yan who is saved by a group of Spellbook librarians during a spellbeast attack. Fast forward some years and he is now studying to become one of the librarians as well. Though he is quite lacking in intelligence, he makes up for it in sheer strength. Right before the exam he meets a mysterious kid named Tohru. Both of them intend to join the Spellbook librarians and they set off together to do so.

I initially had high hopes for this manga, as it seemed like it would be similar to the "Magus of the Library" series. While it does have similarities, the overall plot feels rushed and the characters are somewhat flat to me. It almost seems like a bad ripoff of "Magus of the Library," actually. I have little to no interest in finding out what Tohru's secret is and I am very frustrated by the structure of the library's workforce training/classes. I will sadly not be reading the next volume.

This first volume presents a good premise, but it will have to be exploited to the full in order to maintain the reader's interest.
In fact, many of the elements are at once interesting but with a whiff of ‘already seen’. A main character with a few secrets but who seems to be just a naive and innocent boy, trials for access to the library that obviously have unconventional solutions, an elite corps where at least one of the main characters would like to enter. In short, things that have potentially already been seen, and which in this first volume do not always have a way of showing the author's unique and personal vision.
Obviously for a manga a single volume is not enough to draw conclusions about the potential course of the work, but unfortunately in my case I have no desire to read the second volume.

I found this book to not be very entertaining. I was confused about the magic system, and the characters seemed to be cliche. The premise of a magical library is, an interesting idea. But I found myself to be bored and just trying to get through it.

In a fantasy world, where books give power to subdue beasts, Yan dreams of becoming a Spellbook librarian as the ones who saved him. He joins the academy together with his new friend Tohru. Yan hopes to get in the team that traps beasts inside the book, but Tohru seems to come along just for the ride and doesn't want any attention on himself. However, both Yan and Tohru plans go awry and now they need to navigate their new roles in the academy.

I enjoyed the story but I wasn't a big fan of the art.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for a digital ARC of the manga.

Magic librarians? Sign me up!

This volume was such a blast to read. Right away I got sucked into this intricate world full of magic beasts contained within the pages of spellbooks. Yan makes for a relatable character in the fact that he has a dream and is barreling his way toward it, only to be a little disappointed with the end result. Not to be deterred, he makes a new goal which he pursues with just as much enthusiasm. I can’t help but like him. Tohru, on the other hand, is very much an enigma. I have a feeling that he might be running away from something, which might be why he’s keeping so much to himself. I definitely would love to read what happens next to see just what he’s hiding.

The Spellbook Library itself is just as amazing as I thought it’d be. A giant building stuffed full of what could essentially be considered grimoires. It reminded me of Sorcery of Thorns and would love to see more of the building and how everything works in further volumes.

Overall, I found The Spellbook Library to be very enjoyable and a perfect first volume to what should be a perfect series for all book and library lovers.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes only. All thought and opinions are my own.