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新説 狼と香辛料 狼と羊皮紙 (Novel) #9
新説 狼と香辛料 狼と羊皮紙IX
“薄明の枢機卿”を騙る 偽者が現れて大ピンチ!
狼の化身ルティアが抱えていた心の呪縛を解き、教科書を巡るアケントでの争いに終止符を打たせたコル。目的であった聖典印刷の目処も立ち、いざ公会議に向け、コルたちは準備を始めるのだった。
全世界の聖職者が集う公会議、来るべき論戦を優位に進めるべく、一人でも多くの味方集めが重要となる。だが、その出鼻をくじくように“薄明の枢機卿”の名を騙る偽者が現れたとの報せが届く。
聖堂都市エシュタットの圧政に立ち向かう“薄明の枢機卿”の名の許に建てられた希望の街オルブルク。かねてからの謙遜が仇となり、自分が本人であると証明できないコルは決断を迫られる――。
狼の化身ルティアが抱えていた心の呪縛を解き、教科書を巡るアケントでの争いに終止符を打たせたコル。目的であった聖典印刷の目処も立ち、いざ公会議に向け、コルたちは準備を始めるのだった。
全世界の聖職者が集う公会議、来るべき論戦を優位に進めるべく、一人でも多くの味方集めが重要となる。だが、その出鼻をくじくように“薄明の枢機卿”の名を騙る偽者が現れたとの報せが届く。
聖堂都市エシュタットの圧政に立ち向かう“薄明の枢機卿”の名の許に建てられた希望の街オルブルク。かねてからの謙遜が仇となり、自分が本人であると証明できないコルは決断を迫られる――。
- GenresLight Novel
296 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2023
2 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2024
In Summary
Col has an imposter! It’s proof of the influence he’s earned, and the situation forces him to mature as a character. However, for all the hype about figuring out the imposter’s motives, their investigation feels like a letdown when Col discovers how many people actually know the truth. Moreover, the narrative doesn’t actually show their large-scale solution playing out in real-time.
The Review
Col and company have been journeying further south, and the story now takes them to Estatt and Ohlburg, towns well beyond the original Spice and Wolf world map. So it’s no longer mountains and snow that our characters are traveling through, but swamps and humidity. As to the purpose of this next leg of their trip, it is twofold.
First, with the Ecumenical Council coming up, Col needs allies. When he first got word of the Council in Winfield, it sounded like he simply needed to get to the mainland ASAP to present his arguments. Now, the situation is shaping into a less time-sensitive but much more political fight. The narrative provides an info dump on how the current Empire came to be, why the Emperor’s support would be valuable to the Twilight Cardinal’s cause, and how Col might access the Imperial court through the seven prince-electors who put the Emperor in power. And one of those prince-electors is the Archbishop of Estatt.
The second reason for heading to Estatt is that someone claiming to be the Twilight Cardinal is denouncing the Church in that very city.
The first part of the book is a lot of conjecture about this Twilight Cardinal and his ultimate goal. As Col and company investigate Ohlburg, the cult-like shantytown the impersonator has created in the swamp outside Estatt, Col is confronted with the power that his name apparently commands. He does a lot of growing up as he comes to grips with the role he must assume by stepping onto the world stage.
Col and Myuri’s sleuthing takes them through the tunnels outside Ohlburg, into the library of Estatt, and down to the catacombs beneath the Cathedral. While this mystery is engaging, when Col ultimately figures out the truth behind the impersonator, it’s a bit of a letdown. He’s not the first to figure out what’s going on with this scammer; if anything, he’s late to the game. A ton of people know the truth, and the real issue at hand is how to resolve the situation without the victims of the scammer becoming collateral damage.
Thus, the last half of the book has our characters devising a nonviolent solution and putting it into play. As for their scheme, it’s a stretch in many ways. The initial description of Estatt and Ohlburg includes a suspiciously large amount of details about topography, so it’s no surprise when those elements play a key role in the final resolution. What is surprising is the scope and number of people involved. Col just happened to have sent a letter to Ludward’s mercenary company prior to initiating their investigation, so his group is conveniently available when they need to fabricate a disaster. The plan also requires getting the cooperation of both Estatt’s Church and the swindler group in a really short period of time. Most disappointingly, after pages and pages of evaluating options and laying things out, readers don’t actually get to see the action play out. The narrative follows Col, who is hanging out away from the chaos for dramatic purposes, and he only hears about the progression of the plan via messages.
Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, a world map, five black-and-white illustrations, and an afterword.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
Col has an imposter! It’s proof of the influence he’s earned, and the situation forces him to mature as a character. However, for all the hype about figuring out the imposter’s motives, their investigation feels like a letdown when Col discovers how many people actually know the truth. Moreover, the narrative doesn’t actually show their large-scale solution playing out in real-time.
The Review
Col and company have been journeying further south, and the story now takes them to Estatt and Ohlburg, towns well beyond the original Spice and Wolf world map. So it’s no longer mountains and snow that our characters are traveling through, but swamps and humidity. As to the purpose of this next leg of their trip, it is twofold.
First, with the Ecumenical Council coming up, Col needs allies. When he first got word of the Council in Winfield, it sounded like he simply needed to get to the mainland ASAP to present his arguments. Now, the situation is shaping into a less time-sensitive but much more political fight. The narrative provides an info dump on how the current Empire came to be, why the Emperor’s support would be valuable to the Twilight Cardinal’s cause, and how Col might access the Imperial court through the seven prince-electors who put the Emperor in power. And one of those prince-electors is the Archbishop of Estatt.
The second reason for heading to Estatt is that someone claiming to be the Twilight Cardinal is denouncing the Church in that very city.
The first part of the book is a lot of conjecture about this Twilight Cardinal and his ultimate goal. As Col and company investigate Ohlburg, the cult-like shantytown the impersonator has created in the swamp outside Estatt, Col is confronted with the power that his name apparently commands. He does a lot of growing up as he comes to grips with the role he must assume by stepping onto the world stage.
Col and Myuri’s sleuthing takes them through the tunnels outside Ohlburg, into the library of Estatt, and down to the catacombs beneath the Cathedral. While this mystery is engaging, when Col ultimately figures out the truth behind the impersonator, it’s a bit of a letdown. He’s not the first to figure out what’s going on with this scammer; if anything, he’s late to the game. A ton of people know the truth, and the real issue at hand is how to resolve the situation without the victims of the scammer becoming collateral damage.
Thus, the last half of the book has our characters devising a nonviolent solution and putting it into play. As for their scheme, it’s a stretch in many ways. The initial description of Estatt and Ohlburg includes a suspiciously large amount of details about topography, so it’s no surprise when those elements play a key role in the final resolution. What is surprising is the scope and number of people involved. Col just happened to have sent a letter to Ludward’s mercenary company prior to initiating their investigation, so his group is conveniently available when they need to fabricate a disaster. The plan also requires getting the cooperation of both Estatt’s Church and the swindler group in a really short period of time. Most disappointingly, after pages and pages of evaluating options and laying things out, readers don’t actually get to see the action play out. The narrative follows Col, who is hanging out away from the chaos for dramatic purposes, and he only hears about the progression of the plan via messages.
Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, a world map, five black-and-white illustrations, and an afterword.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2024
Very fun volume
May 31, 2025
Not too sure about the finale, but overall we can finally feel some real progress towards the council and the religious revolution Col is spearheading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews