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狼と香辛料 [Ookami to Koushinryou] (Novel) #13
Spice & Wolf, Vol. 13: Side Colors III
This collection of short stories from the world of Spice & Wolf features three new vignettes from Lawrence and Holo's journeys, as well as a novella that follows Norah the shepherdess and her faithful sheepdog, Enek, as they put the city of Ruvinheigen behind them and try to forge a new path for themselves...
216 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 19, 2018
The last of the short story collections in this series - so far.
I will be honest and say I had some misgivings about starting it, as the last one was rather dry and I had such troubles getting through it, but I gave it a shot, and I'm glad I did!
I think this Side Colors is the strongest one of the three so far. The relationship between Holo and Lawrence is established and it is clear the author both believe in it, and knows it well.
I am honestly glad I read these stories, even the one about Norah.
Here follows the individual reviews for each story.
THE WOLF AND THE HONEYED PEACH PRESERVES
One of the cuter shorts for this series. It helps that at this point the relatiobship between Holo and Lawrence has really kicked of but is still new!
Also, did they or did they not get the preserves? And where can I find some? Even if it sounds too sweet, I want to taste it now
4/5
THE WOLF AND THE TWILIGHT—COLORED GIFT
This was both a sad and a cute one. I like the way the relationship between Lawrence and Holo has evolved, and these little scenes from their daily life are so adorable
4/5
THE WOLF AND THE SILVER SIGH
Yay! Another story told from Holo's POV, and this time set during the main arc so we get to see her thoughts about Lawrence.
If I thought the other shorts in this collection were cute, they were nothing compared to this one. Both fun and serious all at once, and saying so much about their relationship and Holo's character
4/5
THE SHEEPERDESS AND THE BLACK KNIGHT
I had some doubts regarding this story as it didn't contain Holo and was rather long, but im the end it was ok. I do feel that the story is currently unfinished, though.
I'm also a bit annoyed at the fact that the author has given Enek much of Holo's personality, when I think there are more original ways he could have taken, but it was fun getting inside his head!
3/5
Time to get on to the next book in the series!
EDIT: I've seen one reviewer mentioning that the author is diminishing Holo's knowledge in some of these shorts to make her seem cuter and give Lawrence an upper hand. While I agree that I wish Holo had figured it out on her own, I must also point out that how can you figure something out when you don't have all the pieces? In that sense, I do not doubt that Holo didn't solve the puzzle before the end of the story, and so the author didn't diminish her knowledge.
I'm not saying this to call out the other reviewer, but because it got me thinking about the story in a new way, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it.
I will be honest and say I had some misgivings about starting it, as the last one was rather dry and I had such troubles getting through it, but I gave it a shot, and I'm glad I did!
I think this Side Colors is the strongest one of the three so far. The relationship between Holo and Lawrence is established and it is clear the author both believe in it, and knows it well.
I am honestly glad I read these stories, even the one about Norah.
Here follows the individual reviews for each story.
THE WOLF AND THE HONEYED PEACH PRESERVES
One of the cuter shorts for this series. It helps that at this point the relatiobship between Holo and Lawrence has really kicked of but is still new!
Also, did they or did they not get the preserves? And where can I find some? Even if it sounds too sweet, I want to taste it now
4/5
THE WOLF AND THE TWILIGHT—COLORED GIFT
This was both a sad and a cute one. I like the way the relationship between Lawrence and Holo has evolved, and these little scenes from their daily life are so adorable
4/5
THE WOLF AND THE SILVER SIGH
Yay! Another story told from Holo's POV, and this time set during the main arc so we get to see her thoughts about Lawrence.
If I thought the other shorts in this collection were cute, they were nothing compared to this one. Both fun and serious all at once, and saying so much about their relationship and Holo's character
4/5
THE SHEEPERDESS AND THE BLACK KNIGHT
I had some doubts regarding this story as it didn't contain Holo and was rather long, but im the end it was ok. I do feel that the story is currently unfinished, though.
I'm also a bit annoyed at the fact that the author has given Enek much of Holo's personality, when I think there are more original ways he could have taken, but it was fun getting inside his head!
3/5
Time to get on to the next book in the series!
EDIT: I've seen one reviewer mentioning that the author is diminishing Holo's knowledge in some of these shorts to make her seem cuter and give Lawrence an upper hand. While I agree that I wish Holo had figured it out on her own, I must also point out that how can you figure something out when you don't have all the pieces? In that sense, I do not doubt that Holo didn't solve the puzzle before the end of the story, and so the author didn't diminish her knowledge.
I'm not saying this to call out the other reviewer, but because it got me thinking about the story in a new way, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it.
April 22, 2024
currently watching and enjoying the remake of this on Netflix and it has been on my watchlist for so long, and just when I started, i saw this one volume from booksale and it satisfied my light novel craving heart. As much as i enjoy getting to know Holo and Lawrence more through this book and their business as usuals, I really appreciated and grew to live the story if Norah and Enek, as a dog lover myself, I usually keep any dog related novels I have on my favorites shelf, so this is where this copy is going 🐶💕
March 10, 2021
2.5
Dog POV was boring. The other stories were pretty fine.
Dog POV was boring. The other stories were pretty fine.
May 14, 2015
As much as I enjoyed reading this, I feel like this was one of the weaker volumes of Spice and Wolf. Despite the gimmicky narration of Norah's story, the last one in this volume, it was really pleasant and sweet. It had a bit of a set-up for a new series feel to it, with fully formed characters getting introduced and immediately pushed out of frame, but that wasn't too bothersome. I was much less charmed by Holo's solo story, though, which seemed to undercut her intelligence in earlier books in favor of having a story where she admits to having to understand the world of merchants while fussing about a particularly egregious accessory. The story about Lawrence trying to buy her gifts while she silently scorns him almost makes up for this, but not quite.
The two star rating for this book is probably a bit low, but in the absence of a 2 and 1/2 star rating, I'm going with it. I don't think this book does anything to derail the series. It just feels kind of unnecessary.
The two star rating for this book is probably a bit low, but in the absence of a 2 and 1/2 star rating, I'm going with it. I don't think this book does anything to derail the series. It just feels kind of unnecessary.
January 10, 2014
Collection of shorts, including "from the dog's point of view", which I found uninspiring.
August 8, 2019
Side Colors III is easily my favorite of the three short story collections published so far. It's all about the character interactions with a diminished focus on the economics/business aspect.
In this volume, there are three stories that focus on Holo and Lawrences, featuring the best of their heartwarming moments, casual banter and clever remarks. One of them is even told from Holo's perspective, which is always a nice surprise and an interesting change of pace. The other one, which takes up almost half the book, follows Norah and Ennek as they travel to Gustav in search of wor. Interestingly enough, this story is told from Ennek's perspective. In this series, animals and animal spirits have a special focus. Ennek was quite humanized and overly so in my opinion, but it was another interesting change of pace.
The writing is as usual clever, lush with details and I really like it. It was particularly good in Wolf and Silver Sigh, the story told from Holo's perspective.
Overall, it was just what I wanted - well-written, heartwarming moments of some of my favorite characters.
February 23, 2024
Comecei por ler o volume 12, quando percebi que já o tinha lido. Então passei para o volume 13, quando percebi que - ora bolas - era uma porcaria de uma treta de um livro filler com contos à parte.
São três contos. Um fala sobre a estúpida da Nora, de que ninguém quer saber, e que já devia ter morrido há uma série de volumes atrás, e que continua a aparecer por obra de sei la quem.
Outro conto fala de como Lawrence faz um negócio através do trabalho árduo de acarretar produtos de um lado para o outro. E outro fala de um outro bizz também muito bom que eles fazem.
Enfim, é um livro que não ata nem desata, que não serve para avançar na história, que não acrescenta nada ao desenvolvimento das nossas personagens e que não nos ajuda nada na leitura desta série.
Detestei.
São três contos. Um fala sobre a estúpida da Nora, de que ninguém quer saber, e que já devia ter morrido há uma série de volumes atrás, e que continua a aparecer por obra de sei la quem.
Outro conto fala de como Lawrence faz um negócio através do trabalho árduo de acarretar produtos de um lado para o outro. E outro fala de um outro bizz também muito bom que eles fazem.
Enfim, é um livro que não ata nem desata, que não serve para avançar na história, que não acrescenta nada ao desenvolvimento das nossas personagens e que não nos ajuda nada na leitura desta série.
Detestei.
March 1, 2019
While Isuna Hasekura's overall style continues to improve, this in in my opinion the weakest of the set of the side colors volumes. We get a story from Holo's point of view which as others have mentioned fails to do her character or intelligence justice - the previous short story from her POV was while she was ill so it's tone is a bit more understanable. The last story brings back Norah for her own mini-adventure, but it's unrelated to any of the main stories. Additionally first two shorts don't seem to fit comfortably within the overall timeline of the series.
If you're a series fan, you'll want to read this, just be prepared. Of course at least now you can jump right into the next volume; and this is a pretty quick read so go ahead.
If you're a series fan, you'll want to read this, just be prepared. Of course at least now you can jump right into the next volume; and this is a pretty quick read so go ahead.
June 13, 2019
I really enjoyed this collection of side stories, and feel like it shows the author's growth as a writer. The different points of view are what really makes this wonderful--something from Holo's viewpoint, and also a short story from the viewpoint of Norah's dog Enik. I also really appreciate how kindness is depicted in this series--how it's shown that it can hurt, and cut the person holding it, but also that it's worthwhile, even in a world that doesn't often seem to appreciate it.
July 15, 2017
This contained three shorter works connected to Spice & Wolf. They were all really fun. One shifted perspectives between Lawrence and Holo. One was from Holo's perspective. The last was a bit of a novella following Norah's divergence from Holo and Lawrence, from Enek's perspective. Really awesome reads.
November 27, 2017
Even putting it into perspective of a side story book, the plot for the 3 short stories are quite poor, and the author goes as far as to admit in the afterword the third story was just uninteresting so she used the dog as the narrator to give it some zing... had to really make an effort to finish this one.
August 27, 2017
Enjoyable collection of three short stories (two are very short) and one novella that continues the adventure of Nora Arendt the shepherdess and her dog Enek. The story was told through the eyes of Enek which put a unique twist on it.
January 12, 2021
Although it's only a collection of short stories. I totally couldn't put the book down. Just when I thought I could sleep fine with a story from Holo's perspective, there came Norah's story from Enek's perspective nonetheless.
May 17, 2019
The Shepherdess and the Black Knight is the only story I haven't enjoyed in this series.
August 24, 2021
I love it when the short stories extend to side characters!
June 10, 2023
I loved reading from a dog's POV in the last story—about how he is only a simple knight in service to his master 🥰
September 4, 2025
Good side stories. The best one was about the shepherd in a previous book and her dog. Seeing what happened to her after Lawrence and Holo left was enjoyable.
September 16, 2022
Another collection of short stories. Since the second one was recent it feels like the author is ramping up to conclude the journey to Yoitsu. But in the meantime we're treated to some good side stories. The first three were cute showing the travels of the main pair. My favorite one was from Holo's perspective and I laughed out loud how it concluded. There's also a novella starring the former shepherdess Norah, and to a further extent is told from the perspective of her faithful "black knight" Enek. He's got real character from having the personality of an honored knight to making slight remarks about his master's appearance. But his devotion to his master's happiness is sweet and definitely an interesting look at a healthy human/dog relationship.
I enjoyed the volume, it was cute, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
I enjoyed the volume, it was cute, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2015
In Summary
Holo and Lawrence seem to be getting caught in bigger and more complicated schemes lately so for those who miss seeing Lawrence making small town deals, Side Colors III will be a nice change of pace. The shorts also provide some warm and fuzzy moments for Lawrence/Holo fans. The collection wraps up with a continuation of Norah and Enek’s story. While much of their tale is enjoyable, certain twists are far-fetched, and though it ends on a hopeful note for our shepherdess and her dog, it’s too open-ended to be satisfying.
The Review
Hasekura-sensei detours from our main journey once again in Volume 13! In the manner of the previous Side Colors collections, Side Colors III presents four more short stories set in the Spice and Wolf world: The Wolf and the Honeyed Peach Preserves, The Wolf and the Twilight-Colored Gift, The Wolf and the Silver Sigh, and The Shepherdess and the Black Knight.
Those who savor the more romantic nuances of Holo and Lawrence’s relationship will likely enjoy the first two tales. In The Wolf and the Honeyed Peach Preserves, Lawrence exerts himself to the utmost to obtain a rare treat for Holo, but his well-intended efforts rub Holo the wrong way, as they often do. However, the story provides one of the clearest illustrations of their different perspectives on what’s most valuable in life, and after attaining a bit of understanding, the couple is able to reconcile. In addition, they ultimately attain their goal together using a scheme made possible only by boomtown economics and the protection of a wisewolf.
The Wolf and the Twilight-Colored Gift is a much shorter episode. While it demonstrates how advantageous a wolf’s nose can be in the herb trade, the story’s really about Lawrence thoughts on how much Holo means to him and the unusually sweet gesture that results. The fact that he also manages to render Holo speechless with his words is a bonus.
The Wolf and the Silver Sigh is also a short piece, this one told from Holo’s perspective. While there is a fur-related moneymaking scheme that sends Lawrence running all over town, Holo only gets the vaguest explanation of what’s going on. As such, the story’s content is mostly Holo’s reflections about the character of her traveling companion. So often she calls Lawrence “fool,” and this vignette offers a glimpse into the strings of thought that lead to that pronouncement. However, despite being a wisewolf, Holo is ignorant of many things in the human world, and she unwittingly makes a fool of herself even as she looks down on her companion.
The volume wraps up with The Shepherdess and the Black Knight, which features Norah, the shepherdess that Lawrence met in Ruvinheigen. I have been wondering how Hasekura-sensei would continue her story, and the most surprising thing is that it’s not told from her perspective. According to the afterword, the author just couldn’t get into using her so he decided to use her dog Enek instead. Blessed with the ability to understand human speech, the sheepdog offers a pretty good narrative of their journey to the town of Kuskov, and to his credit, most of the heroics (and the benefits that follow) are because of his actions. Even so, the story’s ultimate resolution is somewhat lacking. Kuskov’s post-plague circumstances do create the environment for extreme measures, but Norah’s appointment to deacon and her acceptance seem far-fetched, especially given how abusive her employers were in Ruvinheigen. As for the ending, it certainly leaves the door open for another Norah story, but as a standalone tale, The Shepherdess and the Black Knight feels incomplete.
This light novel includes the first four pages of illustrations printed in color as well as twelve black-and-white illustrations.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
Holo and Lawrence seem to be getting caught in bigger and more complicated schemes lately so for those who miss seeing Lawrence making small town deals, Side Colors III will be a nice change of pace. The shorts also provide some warm and fuzzy moments for Lawrence/Holo fans. The collection wraps up with a continuation of Norah and Enek’s story. While much of their tale is enjoyable, certain twists are far-fetched, and though it ends on a hopeful note for our shepherdess and her dog, it’s too open-ended to be satisfying.
The Review
Hasekura-sensei detours from our main journey once again in Volume 13! In the manner of the previous Side Colors collections, Side Colors III presents four more short stories set in the Spice and Wolf world: The Wolf and the Honeyed Peach Preserves, The Wolf and the Twilight-Colored Gift, The Wolf and the Silver Sigh, and The Shepherdess and the Black Knight.
Those who savor the more romantic nuances of Holo and Lawrence’s relationship will likely enjoy the first two tales. In The Wolf and the Honeyed Peach Preserves, Lawrence exerts himself to the utmost to obtain a rare treat for Holo, but his well-intended efforts rub Holo the wrong way, as they often do. However, the story provides one of the clearest illustrations of their different perspectives on what’s most valuable in life, and after attaining a bit of understanding, the couple is able to reconcile. In addition, they ultimately attain their goal together using a scheme made possible only by boomtown economics and the protection of a wisewolf.
The Wolf and the Twilight-Colored Gift is a much shorter episode. While it demonstrates how advantageous a wolf’s nose can be in the herb trade, the story’s really about Lawrence thoughts on how much Holo means to him and the unusually sweet gesture that results. The fact that he also manages to render Holo speechless with his words is a bonus.
The Wolf and the Silver Sigh is also a short piece, this one told from Holo’s perspective. While there is a fur-related moneymaking scheme that sends Lawrence running all over town, Holo only gets the vaguest explanation of what’s going on. As such, the story’s content is mostly Holo’s reflections about the character of her traveling companion. So often she calls Lawrence “fool,” and this vignette offers a glimpse into the strings of thought that lead to that pronouncement. However, despite being a wisewolf, Holo is ignorant of many things in the human world, and she unwittingly makes a fool of herself even as she looks down on her companion.
The volume wraps up with The Shepherdess and the Black Knight, which features Norah, the shepherdess that Lawrence met in Ruvinheigen. I have been wondering how Hasekura-sensei would continue her story, and the most surprising thing is that it’s not told from her perspective. According to the afterword, the author just couldn’t get into using her so he decided to use her dog Enek instead. Blessed with the ability to understand human speech, the sheepdog offers a pretty good narrative of their journey to the town of Kuskov, and to his credit, most of the heroics (and the benefits that follow) are because of his actions. Even so, the story’s ultimate resolution is somewhat lacking. Kuskov’s post-plague circumstances do create the environment for extreme measures, but Norah’s appointment to deacon and her acceptance seem far-fetched, especially given how abusive her employers were in Ruvinheigen. As for the ending, it certainly leaves the door open for another Norah story, but as a standalone tale, The Shepherdess and the Black Knight feels incomplete.
This light novel includes the first four pages of illustrations printed in color as well as twelve black-and-white illustrations.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2016
Unlike Spice & Wolf, Vol. 11: Side Colors II, this volume actually had stories that I felt were good, solid, self-contained stories that had a nice ending to them. I was really happy to see that there was another story from the perspective of Holo because she is such a fun, mischievous, and also a bit mysterious character. The novella followed Norah and Enek, and was actually told from the perspective of Enek. It showed a very small amount of back story to how they managed to find each other as well as the immediate events following their departure from Ruvinheigen.
From here on out it is all about the main story of Lawrence and Holo. We’ll see if I can finish the next three novels before the final one arrives in the mail.
From here on out it is all about the main story of Lawrence and Holo. We’ll see if I can finish the next three novels before the final one arrives in the mail.
December 30, 2014
I found this to be an enjoyable extension of the Spice & Wolf series. It is not my favorite, but I enjoyed the side stories. I was not sure about having a story viewed through the eyes of Enek the shepherd dog rather than from Norah directly, but the story worked out okay, although I think I would have preferred Norah's point of view. All of the stories did not end quite when I expected them to, but leaving them somewhat open-ended is ok with me. I would recommend if you enjoy the series, but there is nothing exceptional about the stories. Having another story from Holo's perspective is nice, and probably my favorite of the stories.
April 1, 2015
This Side Story Compilation is my favorite so far. The story about Norah was brilliantly written. The character development and her growth. I honestly wish there was a spin-off focusing around Norah.
March 15, 2019
This would have been a 5/5 but the last short story just drags on and on.
May 31, 2014
4 for Norah and Enek. Yay \o/
'Cause Norah is cuter than Holo#fleed
'Cause Norah is cuter than Holo#fleed
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews