Below are our staff’s selections for light novel series that we recommend to Christian viewers. With the increasing popularity of light novels, our list is ever-growing, and we invite you to give your own recommendations in the comment section below.
Ascendance of a Bookworm (Honzuki no Gekokujō: Shisho ni Naru Tame niwa Shudan o Erandeiraremasen)
Bungaku Shoujo (Book Girl)
Invaders of the Rokujouma!? (Rokujōma no Shinryakusha!?)
Kokoro Connect (Kokoro Konekuto)
Obsessions of an Otome Gamer (Ongaku de Otome wa Sukuenai)
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicle (Konna Sekai de Deaeta Kimi ni)
Sword Art Online Progressive (Sword Art Online Progressive)
******************************
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Honzuki no Gekokujō: Shisho ni Naru Tame niwa Shudan o Erandeiraremasen
When the book loving Urano gets literally buried by books during an earthquake, she reawakens as Myne, a sickly young girl from a poor family in a fantasy world. She wants nothing more than to read books in this world, but unfortunately in this world, books are expensive and only held by nobles. So she begins a quest to get her hands on books any way she can, even if she has to make them herself!
Read if you:
(+) Want an isekai (sent to another world) story that reads like a normal fantasy story
(+) Like fantasy stories with great characterization and worldbuilding
(+) Want to learn how books are made
Skip if you:
(-) Want a fast-paced action story
Biblical Themes:
(+) Altruism
(+) Perseverance
Things to Look Out For:
(-) Self-centeredness
(-) Polytheistic world
Read articles about Ascendance of a Bookworm.
******************************
Bungaku Shoujo
Book Girl
What appears to be a story of comical romance with a slight supernatural twist reveals itself to be an engaging story exploring all kinds of dark secrets that humans may be carrying. Each book’s plot is based around a classic literary work such as Phantom of the Opera or Wuthering Heights but different enough that it works more as an enjoyable treat to those familiar with them. Konoha Inoue is a student who once published a best selling novel. Unable to handle the expectations the world had for him, he vowed never to write again only to be dragged into the literary club by a strange girl who literally eats books, Amano Touko, who demands he writes her “snacks” everyday. Mizuki Nomura balances comedy, romance, and plot superbly as the Konoha encounters one mystery after the next.
(2006-2011 ~ 8 volumes + 8 side stories)
Read if you:
(+) Enjoy mysteries
(+) Like romantic subplots
(+) Interested in characters who feel broken
Skip if you:
(-) Can’t accept unexplained supernatural elements
(-) Are critical of mysteries
(-) Prefer exciting situations
Biblical Themes:
(+) Example of problems and solutions to Christian outreach
(+) Shows how broken ordinary humans can be
Things to Look Out For:
(-) Some characters can be psychotic
Read articles about Bungaku Shoujo.
******************************
Invaders of the Rokujouma!?
Rokujōma no Shinryakusha!?
A ghost, an alien, and a magical girl walk into an apartment. No, this isn’t the setup to a joke, it’s the premise of Invaders of the Rokujouma!?. High school student Koutarou has found a cheap apartment to live in, but suddenly all manner of outlandish figures try to lay claim to it. The story builds on this absurd premise and becomes a hilarious, heartwarming, millennia-and-galaxy-spanning adventure, mixed with supernatural high school slice-of-life elements. The rich character and relationship growth is a highlight of this long-running series. Koutarou gradually develops deep friendships with his invaders, while they in turn fall for him.
Read if you:
(+) Enjoy a well-written harem romance
(+) Appreciate slow, deep character development
Skip if you:
(-) Don’t want to get sucked into a very, very long series
(-) Don’t care for large casts of characters
Biblical Themes:
(+) Courage
(+) Love for others
(+) Self-sacrifice
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Mild violence
(-) Harem romance
Read articles about Invaders of the Rokujouma!?
******************************
Kokoro Connect
Kokoro Konekuto
Tropes like body-swapping are commonly used for romcom hijinks, but what effects would they really have on the average high schooler dealing with relationships and their own sense of identity? This is what Kokoro Connect explores, as the mysterious entity Heartseed inflicts various phenomena such as body-swapping on the five kids of the Cultural Research Club. As a result, the club members will come face to face with the inner demons they thought they could ignore. This light novel, which also got an anime adaptation, is a great psychological teenage drama with well-developed characters and relationships.
Read if you:
(+) Like character-driven stories in a school setting
(+) Like psychological explorations of identity and relationships
Skip if you:
(-) Don’t like action-free high school setting stories
(-) Can’t handle melodrama
Biblical Themes:
(+) Friendship and love
(+) Facing your faults
Things to Look Out For:
(-) Talk of teenage desires
(-) Profanity (in the light novel translation)
Read articles about Kokoro Connect (anime).
******************************
Obsessions of an Otome Gamer
~Ongaku de Otome wa Sukuenai~
Obsessions of an Otome Gamer charmingly blends school slice of life, romance, mystery, and classical music. Protagonist Mashiro finds that she seems to have died and reincarnated in the world of a music-theme otome game she used to play. She deeply appreciates getting a second chance at life and vigorously strives to make the most of her opportunities. Her heartwarming relationships with family and friends take center stage in this story. Along the way, the story unpacks the mysteries of the game world’s nature and Mashiro’s circumstances.
Read if you:
(+) Like classical music and/or otome games
(+) Like warm fuzzy feelings
Skip if you:
(-) Are bored to death by classical music
(-) Want a story with action
Biblical Themes:
(+) Love
(+) Gratitude
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Unhealthy emotional dependence
(-) Self-centeredness
(-) Lying
******************************
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicle
~Konna Sekai de Deaeta Kimi ni~
This is an example of the popular / infamous isekai genre, in which a character is transported to another world. In this case, a Japanese college student reincarnates into a fantasy world. Much like our own world, this one is a broken place where the innocent suffer tragically at the hands of those with power. (Case in point: as a young child, protagonist Rio is forced to witness his mother be raped and murdered.) Rio himself begins with a sense of hopeless fatalism, but subsequent events lead us to question his outlook. The plight of Rio and other characters challenges us to reflect on our own need both to be rescued from evil and to resist it ourselves.
Read if you:
(+) Enjoy isekai stories
(+) Want a story with real stakes in its conflicts
Skip if you:
(-) Prefer lighthearted / humorous fare
(-) Prefer to avoid somewhat dark stories
(-) Hate isekai stories
Biblical Themes:
(+) Sin and its consequences
(+) Hope
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Violence
(-) Oppression
(-) Revenge
Read articles about Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles.
******************************
Sword Art Online Progressive
Sword Art Online Progressive
If you watch anime, you probably already have an opinion about Sword Art Online. But the original light novel skipped over nearly two years that Kirito and Asuna spent trapped in a virtual world. SAO Progressive corrects that oversight, effectively retconning Kirito and Asuna’s history. It turns out that they had a great many fun adventures together. Compared to the original novel, Kirito is a deeper character, one who wrestles with self-doubts and shame, but also has a charmingly dorky sense of humor. Sword Art Online’s world is far better developed than in the original novel, and the friendship of the two central characters is lovely.
Read if you:
(+) Want an intense, thought-provoking adventure
(+) Appreciate a well-developed (virtual) fantasy world
Skip if you:
(-) Absolutely dislike the Sword Art Online franchise
(-) Dislike already knowing how a story ends and are familiar with SAO
Biblical Themes:
(+) Self-sacrifice
(+) Friendship
(+) Courage
Content to Look Out For:
(-) Violence
(-) Some fanservicey scenes