As a fan of Uta Isaki's prior work Is Love the Answer? I was excited to read her take on a fantasy manga, and the premise introduced in volume 1 did not disappoint!! I definitely have a bias towards stories about libraries and magic books, but the setting and magic system are incredibly unique from other works I've read with similar set pieces and tropes. I look forward to future volumes!

I enjoyed the first volume of "The Spellbook Library" but I hoped for it to be a bit more similar to "Magus of the Library" which to me set anew standard for manga.
Though if "Magus of the Library" is too heavy for you and you want more action shounen then I recommend this series. Though the first volume seems a bit rushed and story pieces are just a tad fast in my opinion it definitely has more action and the actual ending of the volume left me wanting to read more.

Overall I found it enjoyable but not mind-altering. A 3.5/5 for me.

I loved this manga! It's a fun read and I love the idea of things from books coming out of books and having to battle them. It's a great story, a fast read, and I loved the drawings. Fantastic start and I look forward to the next one!

This was a fun read when it got going. It was a bit confusing and a bit muddled at the beginning, but once I got the groove of the style and the artwork, the story emerged well enough and it was fun to get into.

Speaking of the artwork, as much as I like complexity, this one started out with a punch with a lot of action. That was why I mentioned a bit muddled because it started to get confusing to where I would just skim over the action parts. I had to slow down to really enjoy/appreciate the work the illustrations were working for the story. I mean, magical beasts trapped in a. spellbook?! Yes, please! But all in all, this was an interesting premise and I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC of this manga. All opinions are my own.

The Spellbook Library sounded interesting and gladly the main plot moves slowly, since the mystery is surely interesting. Oddly enough this manga was first published in English as a test and then it will be published in Japanese. This isn't even the only one. Everything revolves around libraries and spellbook librarians that both Yan and Tohru want to be. We get to see their journey towards that goal and there are mysteries along the way and Tohru's past is something else too. I really liked the setting and the world is surely interesting, since I love libraries and I work in the field myself too. But, the superimposed humor eats away some of the pleasure and feels so detached. Especially Yan is super annoying.

The art is OK, nothing amazing, but works in the genre. Library themed stories are the best and especially when the setting is magical fantasy. I wish we get to see more of the monsters and less humor, since it feels cheap. But, this is shounen so I don't hold breath for a change. Still, I hope we'll get to enjoy the mystery a lot longer.

ARC COPY...Very promising start and it will move past "the tutorial" narrative soon enough in the next volume. Love the magical system and culture surrounding the magical books so far and Heheh...that's one way to carry your monotonous boss into battle for help!

This manga had a very interesting concept, but the execution was not so. The concept of a library that focuses solely on spellbooks was interesting! It's a library where their entire collection is only focused on magical books, how cool! But the actual story isn't so much focused on the library, it's focused on a more shonen-style story. It focuses on the main leader character, Yan, and his journey to become a spellbook librarian. Which happens in like...2 chapters? It's insanely short, then they're just...working at the library now! The sidekick character, Tohru is so blatantly in what his "plot twist" is going to be. It's hinted at so hard, that it's just obvious. I did enjoy the art, I thought the action scenes were very well done. The story just has a major plot pacing issue that made it so it didn't fully hold my attention. Hence why it took me so long to finish this volume because I kept putting it down every time I lost interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed the art of this story a lot, it was very easy to tell the characters apart. It was very fast paced and a lot happened in this volume. I think both the Princess and Tohru have things that we will discover about them and they are the most interesting characters in the story. I am not sure right now about continuing this story. Because the story happened so fast, I feel like some of the world building was missing, I want to know more about the beast themselves as there appear to be "good" and "bad" ones. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this! There is a great balance of magic, comedy and fantasy and I think readers of Sorcery of Thorns will love this one

There are a lot of new manga about magical boys. If those have been appealing to you, The Spellbook Library may be one to check out. The series hails from Uta Isaki, who also penned Is Love the Answer? This new series takes place in a world where magic-wielding librarians fight and contain powerful spellbeasts. Yan was rescued by one such librarian and thus wants to join the Spellbook Library himself. So does Tohru, a mysterious young boy whose reasons are less clear. Passing will require both cleverness and magical prowess. But they don’t end up quite where they planned.

The Spellbook Library sports gorgeous art and character designs, but never takes itself too seriously. A blend of action, comedy, and magical battles, it’s a great fit for readers who want to recapture that Cardcaptor Sakura feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Uta Isaki for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Saves by a sealer from the Spellbook Library as a kid, Yan dreams of nothing more than to join the Spellbook Library and thank the person who saves him so many years ago. While he isn't sure about his path beyond that, he works together with Tohru, a boy of mystery who likewise wants to join the library. Together, they take on the trials and find out what department they will work for, though some secrets may reveal a more serous quest at hand.

Great art and a more unique story fun for fantasy readers. The first volume has readers itching for the next one as it piques the intrigue of the aura of mystery surrounding Tohru. A good first installment.

There's a special group of people that handles the dangerous creatures of the world by sealing them inside books and carefully monitoring them. They are known as the Spellbook Librarians.

Yan and Tohru are ready to try out and see if they can join the elite ranks of the Spellbook Librarians. On open-call day they, along with 500 other people, begin the exam and somehow succeed in the last minute. Then they succeed with the second test but don't get full marks, for almost burning down the library. They are assigned to the PR department, which neither of them is happy about, especially because they're working under Princess, a member of the royal family who doesn't seem to care about them too much. The final chapter reveals that someone hadn't done their job properly, but we won't know the results until the next book comes out.

A fun fantasy for the nerdy folk who enjoy manga about teamwork and perseverance, but also accept it will be a little slow at times.

I was really excited to read this manga as I am currently myself studying to become a librarian! And I love books that have a library in them! The story also sounded very interesting.

But that was kinda it - it sounded interesting. I did find the world and the spellbook library fascinating but those were the only things I really enjoyed. The story feels too action packed and the events go by way too fast for my taste. On top of that I found all the main characters to be annoying which made me even more reluctant to continue reading the story.

Sadly the world itself nor the dragons(!!) were enough to hold my interest and even though I am slightly curious to know more about the library (as a future librarian myself!) I don't think I will be continuing the series past the first volume. Which is really a pity because I really enjoyed Isaki Uta's previous work Is Love the Answer?

But if you enjoy an extremely fast-paced story with magic and dragons, I do think this might be just the right manga for you!

Thanks NetGalley and Kodansha for the ARC.

This was a super cute manga, I mean a magical library sign me up, but it was missing something. I couldn’t really tell you what, just something that really sucked me in and got me invested. There are a lot of interesting plot lines I want to see where they go so I will pick up the second volume for sure. It could have been better in my opinion if maybe just one of the plot lines were a little further explored so I could be more invested. Right now everything and everyone just feels very surface level.

The art work was beautiful and is my favorite style for manga. Even if it isn’t your favorite though it is so well drawn you will still appreciate it.

If the premise seems up your alley I would check this one out.

In a land where magical beasts are sealed away in books to assist humanity in their endeavors Tohru and Yan have been accepted into The Spellbook Library a dream come true for many, except instead of being elite Sealers they've been accepted as part of the PR Team. And while Tohru could care less, he just wants to work in the library, Yan's life dream has been to work with the Sealers. Regardless of their disappointment, both are dedicated to doing their job to the best of their abilities, even if that means playing babysitter to a bunch of elementary school brats.

Any manga that's got magical books in a magical library is going to attract my attention, and I'm happy to say I enjoyed every second of this one. While we have some pretty trope-y characters here, Yan, who is loud and obnoxious, and Tohru who is the mysterious kid hiding some high level magical abilities, and finally Emel, the Princess that doesn't want to be a Princess they were still a lot of fun.

And yes, the plot itself (so far) is even a bit trope-y, but again, it was still a lot of fun. I don't think you can go wrong with magical beasts that are sealed away in books that the general population can then check out of the library. The concept is original enough that even if everything else is a trope, I'm okay with it.

Finally, the art is really well done as well. I really loved the character designs, especially since Isaki shows what they could have looked like at the end of manga. The designs they went with fit the characters' personalities to a T.

Overall, I definitely recommend this fun little manga. It's got a magical academy feel to it with some fun characters, and it ends on a perfect cliffhanger that deepens the mystery surrounding Tohru that leaves you wanting more!

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha!

This was a nice, if average fantasy series. Granted, this first volume seemed mostly like setup, but nothing so far has jumped out at me that makes it particularly unique. As I like to stress in these reviews, just because I personally was not wowed by something doesn't mean that someone else isn't going to come along and love the fun, breezy read that this is. Maybe they have never seen the concept done quite like this before. There is also a decent chance that this series will find its footing a bit more as it goes along. It's fine! If this looks like your thing, have fun!

I loved this and can't wait for it to continue. This reminded me of [book:Sorcery of Thorns|42201395] in the way that beasts are sealed within books. The big difference is that the beasts can be benevolent and helpful, where Sorcery of Thorns had the books themselves turning into beasts.


#NetGalley ARC

The Spellbook Library introduces the fun concept of a world where magical creatures are captured in books, and then used in every aspect of daily life. Our protagonists, Yan and Tohru, are loveable and interesting characters whose personalities bounce very well off each other.

Rating - 3.5⭐
I loved the concept very much, and I am excited to read the next novel to find out more about the characters, their backgrounds and the world. However, the manga does suffer a little for jumping straight into the deep end without enough background or explanation. Stick with it though! The art is beautiful and the characters and concepts are intriguing.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGally for the ARC.

Every five years the Spellbook Library has and examination where anyone can come and apply to join the library staff. Ten years ago, Yan had been rescued by Spellbook librarians and wanted to join the library staff to show his appreciation. On the way to the examination he fell in with Tohru and the two were paired up during the examination. A follow-up examination to determine where in the library they would work found them pairing up again. It seems their fate to work together, but will they survive their new position and their new boss? That will be seen in the next volume!

Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha for the chance to read this title!

Just finished reading **The Spellbound Library 1**, and it was a fantastic manga debut! The artwork is stunning, bringing the magical world of enchanted libraries to life with intricate details and expressive characters. The story follows a relatable protagonist who discovers that books are gateways to incredible adventures.

I loved how the manga blends fantasy and mystery, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The supporting characters add depth and charm, each with their own quirks that enrich the story. There were a few moments where the plot felt a bit rushed, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment.

If you're into manga that combines magic, adventure, and a love for books, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a read!

**Rating: 4 out of 5 stars**