Pandora Hearts ~Caucus Race~, Vol. 1

Pandora Hearts ~Caucus Race~ #1

by Jun Mochizuki (Original Creator, Illustrator), Shinobu Wakamiya

Within these pages, four fairy tales unfold, each peering into one of the houses of the four great dukedoms: Vessalius, Rainsworth, Barma, and Nightray. Shifting among present, past, and future, these stories link to each other like a wheel, traveling to and fro in a never-ending ring between the everyday and the extraordinary. Inside this ring, the protagonists take off at a gallop. Caucus race: A race that is run within a circle, any which way one likes. A race with no goal. Who will be the winner?

Look deeper into the world of PandoraHearts with this first ever novelization based on the work of the New York Times bestselling manga creator Jun Mochizuki, illuminated by special manga shorts drawn by Mochizuki herself...

Genres: Manga, Light Novel, Fantasy, Comics, Novels, Young Adult, Short Stories

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2011

About the author

Jun Mochizuki (望月淳 Mochizuki Jun) is a Japanese comic artist (manga-ka), best known for the fantasy shounen series Pandora Hearts/パンドラハーツ.

Reviews

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot - 4
Character - 4
Writing Style - 4
World Building - 4
Art - 4
Cover - 4

Rating - 4 🌟/ 5 🌟

[Maria✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light novels are a thing I'm biased against, because the writing level is usually subpar, so my expectations were pretty low.

Unsurprisingly, the first story starts with Alice talking and in this kind of written form, Alice just sounds... cringy. However, once you get past this initial cringe, the overall vibe of the first story is very heart warming and it even has some nice manga pages at the end of it.

The second story was the most expansive featuring an actual mystery plot and a deeper look into the characters, while the second and third were shorter and more comedic/heartwarming. Throughout all of them, you see references that "connect" those stories time-wise and it feels a more complete book, than not.

All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised, so it gets a 3.5/5 from me! I'm just a tad excited for the next 2 volumes!

[Kristalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final rating: 5/5 stars

Have I mentioned how much I love Pandora Hearts? It's my absolute favorite manga and I was really excited to find out about this short stories.

I feel like they are really nice addition to the main series, but as stand alone books to read without the main manga series? It's hard that you would understand it.

But in any case - amount of angst and fluff is exceedingly good.

[NA. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best things I've ever read, I truly adore PH. I grew up in this world, deeply thanking Jun Mochizuki for such a masterpiece. This felt like stepping into an old lovely house. I liked all four stories honestly every single one is unique. My hands already picking up the second Cacus Race.

[Howl Orwll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable ♥

Fue hermoso reencontrarme con estos personajes después de tanto tiempo y volver a sentir la misma calidez al leer sobre ellos. Pandora Hearts conquistó mi corazón para siempre hace años, era imposible no sonreír con esta novela.

[Sarah Shams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not even going to hold back my bias. YES I love Pandora Hearts. YES I will give every book in the series 5 stars. You could even give me Gil's grocery lists and I would also give them 5 stars because that is just who I am as a person at this point.
I have been dying to read this book since 2012. I DID MY WAITING. 8 YEARS OF IT. IN AZKABAN!
Ok but seriously. I remember a time when the only versions of this book I could get access to was this shady English translation from Tumblr or the French copy which I only dimly understood and I am so grateful for my best friend for getting me this as a birthday present. love you shafaq
Ok but enough of MY backstory. Why did I love this book? Because it was equal parts funny and equal parts creepy in the most Pandora Hearts way possible. Gilbert's story vaguely reminded my of the movie Psycho and the mini Alice episode was just freaking hilarious. Also, the feels.
all in all...I would give this a 100 stars if I could :)

[Jasmin S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Pink Curse, still my favourite of the four stories, I'm willed to give it a 3.5/5.

[Natascha Eschweiler · Rating 2 out of 5]

It pains me to only give this two stars, but apart from Pink Curse (which was absolutely lovely) the stories seemed like half-hearted fanfiction catering to specific niches. Break, at least, was great in all stories, and Reim really deserved the banquet.

[Sasan · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know when you love something so much and you expect everything related to it to be just as wonderful? But then you get something related to it and it’s just so awful in comparison? That right there is the first volume of Caucus Race.

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Pandora Hearts is a very special series for me, regardless of how many manga series I pick up, none of them managed to make me go through what Pandora Hearts did. So whenever there is something extra for the series, I strive my best to read it, get familiar with it and the like. This time was no different, I had the volumes for a while so I thought I’ll read it as a change of pace, and unfortunately I expected to be blown away every single time. Thing is, this novel is basically just small slice of life snippets from the four dukedoms. But out of the 4 of them, only one was entertaining and that was only because it followed a more mystery format to it than the others. The others might’ve been fun to read about as well, if they weren’t as freakin boring as they were.

I’m sure it’s because my expectations were through the roof, but I still can’t help think that it was because how the stories themselves weren’t as entertaining as a I hoped. Maybe, it’s because I’ve seen similar cases of everything discussed in multiple places that I was disappointed? That’s probably it because the writing was pretty easy to go through, and the author tried their best to stay true to the characters. I say it like this because Wakamiya Shinobu is not the mastermind behind Pandora Hearts, that achievement belongs to Mochizuki Jun who is currently writing another series that is just brilliant. Ahh, now that I wrote it like this, i think one of the reasons of why I couldn’t enjoy this is because I’m comparing between the creators way too much.

I do think however that this type of novels fits a certain crowd that I’m most likely not amongst, I prefer the darkness of Pandora Hearts over anything else. Caucus Race was more on the upbeat side and like I said, taking a slice of life format is more than fine if you can make it entertaining, but I guess this time I just wasn’t the intended target for them. I did enjoy the 4th story though, definitely the best of the 4.

I won’t lie, I’m severely disappointed with this first novel and I’m only continuing with them because my love for Pandora Hearts is too great for me to stop over something like this. But I do hope that the others aren’t as cutesy as these, especially since we’ll be looking into other families and more exciting entities.

Final rating: 1.5/5

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing. The characters were so cute, and the story really did keep me pulled in. I could see the story play out like an anime in my head, and I loved that too! I like a lot how it seemed to tie in a bunch if different Classic Fairy Tales and legends and stuff while STILL having it make sense. I can not wait to read the rest of these books, which I will be doing for sure!

I was fortunate enough to have won this from a GoodReads giveaway. And I highly recommend this to EVERYONE.

[C.T. Yen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous and a great laugh.

This light reading is a big difference from the English novels that I have been reading; the structure, the point of views, the dialogues, and the numerous indirect discourses, etc.

It takes some time for me to get used to it again. However, it's fun reading it anyway.

[أسماء · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well well, I bought this novel on August last year, and tbh I thought it was kind of side-manga-story, but it was light novel instead..

But whatever! It was a lovely one!
As a big fan of the manga series I found the end kind of gloomy and I was sad that one of my favorite manga series' has ended.. So, reading side stories would make it somehow easy on my heart..

[Fathnin Alyea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this after the last chapter of the manga is just....pure torture.

Every story is so leisure, fun and bright, that it brings tears. I wish things would stay like this everytime. All my beloved characters are here, alive, safe and sound.

It's nice to see the characters' simple everyday life. It made their relationship and bond even stronger to the readers. On to the next book!

[Niquie]

I love Pandora Hearts, so I bought this even though I usually avoid adaptations, and yet I can't seem to open the book...

[Emily Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves PandoraHearts, this was a welcoming breath of fresh air. Although Alice's dialogue was a bit cringy, that's just part of her character. So it didn't bother me all that much.

Here are some of my favorite lines/quotes:

"The worse you feel, the more enthusiastic you get...you're a real piece of work." -Gilbert to Oz. (This is sadly true).

Father's always hated me--
Even now, he didn't know the reason...
His father, Xai Vessalius, had seen him as something detestable from the time he was small and Oz hadn't even been allowed to go out casually. (I hate Oz's father with a burning passion).

"I got to see something pretty. All because I'm linked to you." -Alice to Oz. (This is so cute).

"--All women are venomous spiders, you know."-Vincent to Gilbert. (Shut up, Vincent, we know you hate women...).

He knew one. A woman made entirely of kindness, cheer, and grace. A woman who was worlds apart from "venom".
Ada-sama--
As he silently called her name, his heart grew warm. That wasn't venom. On the contrary, it was medicine. -Gilbert. (Yess Gil...does this mean he canonically loves Ada? I sure hope so).

"...I see you're still clumsy when it comes to yourself." -Break to Oz. (Break always could tell what Oz was thinking and often called Oz out on it).

"Unfortunately, my flesh and blood belong to Oz." -Gilbert. (What do you mean unfortunately? You love Oz like a brother, Gil).

Xerxes Break.
He was her subordinate at Pandora, a servant of the House of Rainsworth, and someone she'd spent so much time with ever since she was small that he felt like a big brother to her. (Yesss Break and Sharon representing the found family trope).

I want to see Ada-sama, Gilbert thought, with no reason for thinking it…he wanted to see her, and chat with her about trivial things, and have her scold him for getting so gloomy. That said, Gilbert wasn't the sort who could just go see her without an excuse, and he wasn't clever enough to come up with an excuse where none existed. (Again, does Gil like Ada romantically??? Please let it be true. Ada deserves better than Vincent).

I mean, Sharon thought, a bit resentfully, earlier, when I first tried to cook, all I did was cut my fingertip a little, and Break hasn't let me hold a kitchen knife since-- (Yesss. Just Break looking after Sharon).

"I wasn't moved to tears. I was so appalled I almost cried…" -Reim (You know you loved the party, Reim).

He intended to toy with her and torment her, acquainting her with the taste of agony and despair. -Vincent (I'm sorry but I can never like Vincent....sorry for those who like him but I don't).

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I'd like to note that this book really is for fans of the manga series, and not to be read as a stand alone or introduction to the series, because it follows the characters from the manga assuming you already know who they are and how they're related to one another.

That being said, I truly liked it.

It was cute, funny, entertaining... and overall a not necessary but still nice addition to the world from the manga.


It consists of 4 different short stories (the second one being the longest) focused each on one character (Oz, Gilbert, Sharon and finally Reim) but all involving different other characters. Also, it was nice having them linked to one another with references to the previous stories.

— The first one was cute, it really being mostly a slice of life story around Oz, Alice and Gil.
— The second one is built like a mini-mystery (even if it may not look like it at the beginning) around Gil.
— The third one is fun, showing more Break antics with him teasing the people around him. Also, Alice's guillibility.
— The last one is also kind of a mini-mystery, but eventually rather cute. And the way it's written, according to the character it's focused on, is original and a nice touch imo.

Last but not least: the few illustrations are lovely -as expected seeing as the Pandora Hearts manga was beautiful- and there's even a few pages in comic form (one as an epilogue to the first story and two pages as epilogue to the last one) that brings the urge to re-read the whole manga.


I'm really looking forward to reading the other two books from this series! (Although it might take a while for me to get them. 😭)

[zara · Rating 4 out of 5]

the light novels are definitely for fans of the pandora hearts manga series and would be quite confusing without prior knowledge of the characters and general plot. this was such a fun read for me as i absolutely loved the manga.

things that i like:
- gorgeous cover!!! honestly my favourite from the three light novels
- the short story about alice and oz getting sick was the slice of life content we desperately needed after the whirlwind of a manga
- the entire prospect of gilbert possibly getting married..... that entire story was wild
- gilbert yelling "my flesh and blood belongs to oz!" at the brink of death really made me Think
- the unique formatting of the final story about reim was really interesting and quite mysterious

[Julieanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caucus Race was very entertaining to read and consists of four stories that are seemingly unconnected until you reach the fourth story where you get explicit hints to previous stories within the book. The first story is a bit zany and would have been better served in manga format, but the remainder of the book is passable in novel format as not being too out there for reading flow.

The overall style of Pandora Hearts is well captured and I think most other fans of the manga could get plenty of enjoyment from the light novel. I am hoping the other two volumes are as enjoyable to read.

[Reian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soft, gentle short stories set in a time in the manga series where everything was okay (and everyone was alive....)

Overall, you don't really gain anything from reading this in terms of making the plot experience broader, but if you love the characters reading this is a very warm and quietly funny experience. Especially the last story.

The English translation felt a bit clumsy in places, but I enjoyed it.

[Stephanie Jachymek · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5, if that.
This is... Very bad. I think the translation was a bit hard to get by. No one speaks the way this was done.
Alice was OOC... I understand she likes food but that's her entire personality throughout the three novels.
The stories are.. Not great. And the one with Sharon and Alice is honestly kind of disgusting.
Its a shame because I love Pandora Hearts so much, but this was definitely not enjoyable in the least for me.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the format of the book resembles a script more than a book itself and it would have been better as a full manga. However I still enjoyed this book (it made me laugh quite a few times) and I recommend it to any Pandora Hearts fan that wants to know a little bit more about the four houses and our beloved characters.

I would recommend reading this after volume 12.

[Chalinviri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Más que sentir que la historia iba a algún lado la verdad es que lo sentí más como un fanfiction de Pandora Heart.

Dicho esto, si me gustaron las historia y aunque no soy tan fan del shippeo de Gil y Oz, no me molesta y ame los momentos de flaahback.

Seguiré leyéndolos, sin embargo no puedo quitarme la sensación de que leo un Fanfiction en lugar de una novela ligera de la autora.

[珊 · Rating 4 out of 5]

warm and fuzzy feelings but also moments that feel like a sucker punch, thanks mochijun. will be thinking about gilozalice, ozecho, sharon & break, and ada vessalius my beloved <3 not that it’s much different from usual. pleasant surprise to see sharon & alice’s dynamic they’re so cute

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two stories were rather boring, but the third was funny and the fourth was hands-down the best. Looking forward to more of this series.

[Mizuki Takatane · Rating 5 out of 5]

its is a great novel

[crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

so sweet 🙁

[ᴘᴀᴛʀɪ ໒꒱ · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩵🩵🩵

[Ray Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is why I love light novels.

~Caucus Race~ is the compilation of several random chapters in which we see a bit more of the daily lives of characters we already know and love, so it was no surprise that we had a little fan service and overall, a nice time with everybody being just themselves, without major worries.

I gave this one a 4/5 because I love Oz and Gil together and in this light novel, you can’t help but to ship them together. I mean I have, since I was a teenager so that makes +10 years of me shipping them, but anyway. And along with Alice, they make the best trio ever.

The pace and the writing feel just right because I can clearly picture them and if that weren’t enough, Mochizuki-sensei drew a couple of scenes that made it absolutely perfect (like Oz on Gil’s back, OMG!).

I feel that this should be read by any Pandora Hearts fan who loves the series as much as I do. Totally would recommend it!

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historias sencillitas. La primera se centra en Alice enferma; la segunda, en Gil y Oz y el asunto del matrimonio; la tercera, en Sharon y sus libros; y la última, en Reim y su día libre (no libre).

La segunda historia fue mi favorita porque amo a Oz y a Gil y los amo juntos.

[Night Lantern · Rating 3 out of 5]