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Log Horizon #4
Log Horizon, Vol. 4: Log Horizon, Game's End, Part 2
The stronghold of Akiba faces a new threat: a mighty goblin army! In their efforts to rebuild the city, the adventurers of Elder Tales had neglected important quests, and now they reap the consequences. With the revelation that in-game death leads to memory loss of the real world, the stakes have never been higher. And will cutthroat politics destroy tenuous new alliances before the real battle even begins?
262 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2011
23 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Mamare Touno
77 books61 followersName (in native language): 橙乃 ままれ
Mamare Touno real name is Daisuke Umezu (梅津 大輔, Umezu Daisuke).
Blog: m2lade JAM
Mamare Touno real name is Daisuke Umezu (梅津 大輔, Umezu Daisuke).
Blog: m2lade JAM
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 10, 2018
Thisbiw no longer a Game. This is real, the stakes are high, and the real action has just started. This book marks a shift in the series. Things are not as good as they seem, the stakes are real, and the enemies are attacking everywhere.
New and great point of views, awesome new characters
I'm gonna start the fifth one ASAP
New and great point of views, awesome new characters
I'm gonna start the fifth one ASAP
June 17, 2014
So far this has been the best of the series, mostly because it contains the most game-centric arc and one of the big reveals of the series.
February 6, 2017
Slow beginning, but once it got off, it was some of his best writing yet. Totally worth the read.
October 17, 2019
Okay, so nearly anything better than vol. 3 would be great, but this one is fabulous. Touno doesn't spend time dilly-dallying around with a lot of useless prattle but jumps right in. We see the various Adventurer groups putting in their time to stop the goblin and sahuagin invasions. We learn a lot more about how the nobles actually view the Adventurers and themselves. Much of that from Princess Raynesia, who I rather enjoy as a character. Her interaction with Krusty are entertaining. We even get the in-world (in-game) reason for the goblin army which was an interesting look at how a game made real might actually change things a LOT. The folks at the training camp had a great bit and their part of the war was pretty cool.
All in all, if you picked up 3, hopefully you picked up 4 at the same time because you need to. Especially if you were a bit let down by vol 3. This redeems it admirably.
Verdict: READ. Slog through 3 so you can get to this one and know what's going on.
All in all, if you picked up 3, hopefully you picked up 4 at the same time because you need to. Especially if you were a bit let down by vol 3. This redeems it admirably.
Verdict: READ. Slog through 3 so you can get to this one and know what's going on.
August 23, 2022
From the four Log Horizon books I've read, this is probably my least favourite. This mainly is due to the fact that both aspects with I always enjoyed most about Log Horizon have completely fallen under the table in this volume: the MMO aspect as well as light-hearted character interactions.
The absence of light-heartedness can very easily be explained by looking at the overarching premise of the book, with it being a second part, and therefore finale, to the negotiations and incoming war that were set up in the first part of Game's End. Some, or maybe a lot of people will like the story focussing on an epic all-out war, but to me, this simply never was what I expected in Log Horizon.
The MMO aspect, however, is rather necessarily discarded in this volume. It feels like Touno wants to focus more on the internal worldbuilding of Elder Tales and forgets mostly about it being an MMO. This is really unfortunate, as this has always been my favourite part of the novel. But, again, I can totally see a lot of people enjoying this change, it simply wasn't for me.
The absence of light-heartedness can very easily be explained by looking at the overarching premise of the book, with it being a second part, and therefore finale, to the negotiations and incoming war that were set up in the first part of Game's End. Some, or maybe a lot of people will like the story focussing on an epic all-out war, but to me, this simply never was what I expected in Log Horizon.
The MMO aspect, however, is rather necessarily discarded in this volume. It feels like Touno wants to focus more on the internal worldbuilding of Elder Tales and forgets mostly about it being an MMO. This is really unfortunate, as this has always been my favourite part of the novel. But, again, I can totally see a lot of people enjoying this change, it simply wasn't for me.
June 24, 2024
Les deux parties de l'arc du Retour du Roi Gobelin sont parmi les plus agréables que j'ai lues jusqu'ici en tant que fan qui a vu l'anime un nombre de fois inavouable. On y découvre de petites différences super cools : l'utilisation d'un arc par Tohya, quelques indices sur le passé de Rudy, un petit moment épique pour Elissa, Leynessia gagne encore en cool...
D'ailleurs je lance mon nouveau headcanon : Leynessia a des traits autistiques. "La princesse paresseuse" : tu m'étonnes, elle doit être ÉPUISÉE par les conventions sociales du Palais. La manière dont Crusty et elle se comprennent est intéressante sous ce nouvel aspect. Bref cette découverte m'a rendue très enthousiaste !
D'ailleurs je lance mon nouveau headcanon : Leynessia a des traits autistiques. "La princesse paresseuse" : tu m'étonnes, elle doit être ÉPUISÉE par les conventions sociales du Palais. La manière dont Crusty et elle se comprennent est intéressante sous ce nouvel aspect. Bref cette découverte m'a rendue très enthousiaste !
November 28, 2024
Ilość powtórzeń naprawdę zaczęła mnie irytować. Jednak dalej mi się to podoba. Uwielbiam te przebiegłe akcje i całe te taktyczne zagrywki (choć autor mógłby przestać mi je tłumaczyć - naprawdę rozumiem!)
Akatsuki jak zwykle cudowna, Shiroe upiornie przebiegły (kocham). Sytuacja z Rayneshą była świetna. I muszę w końcu napisać, że rysunki są przepiękne. Raynesha w stroju walkirii jest przepiękna. Pasują do siebie z Krustym XD Fajnie też, że Krusty się nie wywyższa (przynajmniej póki co) i nie uważa, za boga przez to, że przewodniczy najsilniejszej gildii i przymierzu. A no i sytuacja z Rudym - cudowna.
Akatsuki jak zwykle cudowna, Shiroe upiornie przebiegły (kocham). Sytuacja z Rayneshą była świetna. I muszę w końcu napisać, że rysunki są przepiękne. Raynesha w stroju walkirii jest przepiękna. Pasują do siebie z Krustym XD Fajnie też, że Krusty się nie wywyższa (przynajmniej póki co) i nie uważa, za boga przez to, że przewodniczy najsilniejszej gildii i przymierzu. A no i sytuacja z Rudym - cudowna.
August 21, 2022
The adventurers and the League of free cities have an invasion of Goblins by both land and sea to contend with. A big group of half-trained newbies led by a few top adventurers try to fight off the seas invasion. Meanwhile the City of Akiba, inspired by the princess of the free cities rallies to fight the land invasion.
This volume has a lot of action, a lot focusing on the newbies and also Shiroe and Krusty. THe characters are well developed and it's interesting to see how they adapt to living in the game world.
This volume has a lot of action, a lot focusing on the newbies and also Shiroe and Krusty. THe characters are well developed and it's interesting to see how they adapt to living in the game world.
January 12, 2022
This book engaged me more than any other book has in a long time. I'm really enjoying this series and I love so many of the characters!! I'm really impressed with Mamare Touno's ability to split time between multiple stories and narratives and have each be equally compelling. The cliffhangers in the last volume were driving me crazy, but the payoff in this volume was well worth it. Excited to start the next one!
April 6, 2020
My favorite volume so far! This one continues the Raynesia/Krusty storyline, and has the completely excellent Rundelhaus arc. Soooooo great.
October 16, 2020
Offered a lot more detail than the show, but ultimately was a little too tactical for my tastes; certain sections of the book were a slog to get through.
March 7, 2023
So wonderful
May 14, 2016
Mamare Touno has outdone himself with this one. Since this is part two of the current arc, there's no dilly-dallying here. We jump straight into a war with the goblins, who now have a king because none of the adventurers, who would have normally taken on the quest to slay the Goblin King when Elder Tales was a game, had done so this time.
I think the first aspect about this volume that I really liked was how the adventurers lack of quest taking was the cause for what happened here. When Elder Tales was a game, there was a quest that would come up every so often: Take down the Goblin King. However, thanks to the catastrophe that brought them to this world, so similar to the one they knew from the video game yet very different at the same time, the quest that would have dealt with the Goblin King before he became a threat was never taken. Thanks to that, the goblins crowned a king, who then decided to send out his forces to pillage and plunder the land.
Frightening enough to do the "glasses flash," fight? However, goblins aren't the only threat. What makes Log Horizon truly interesting isn't just how the goblins have come about because the Goblin King was never slain, but how it affects the People of the Earth. The People of the Earth, formerly NPCs in Elder Tales, are a society that was based off of older European culture. It follows the conscripts of many fantasy stories, where the times are more reminiscent medieval Europe, and their politics are quite similar. This presents an interesting contrast between the People of the Earth and the Adventurers, which causes friction during the debates on what they should do about the goblin army.
I feel that it's the People of the Earth who make this LN stand out so much. They aren't just NPCs in this. They are real people, and their politics harken back to days long forgotten. It makes for an interesting story.
Of course, there is far more to this story than just NPCs becoming real people. How Shiroe and the gang handle the political situation they've found themselves, how the goblins are dealt with, the carefully constructed world building, all of it feels a lot more well thought out than other LNs of its genre. Of course, having only read SAO and No Game No Life, I don't have much to compare it to, but between the three, this one is definitely my favorite.
If this story had one aspect that I didn't like, then it's how long winded it sometimes felt. There were occasions where the story felt like it was dragging on, describing aspects that would have been interesting if not for the fact that I was more curious about the story than the world building. They were in the middle of a war with the goblins. Such a thing should have been exhilarating, but some of the excitement was stolen because, during these scenes, the author would go on and on and on as he went into the perspective of whatever character the story was being told from at that time. There were occasions where it felt like pontificating for the sake of upping word count. That said, it wasn't as if I hated these moments. I just wished the story had moved a little faster.
In all regards, this series continues to stand at the top in terms of writing, world building, and character developing. I'm gonna buy the next volume.
I think the first aspect about this volume that I really liked was how the adventurers lack of quest taking was the cause for what happened here. When Elder Tales was a game, there was a quest that would come up every so often: Take down the Goblin King. However, thanks to the catastrophe that brought them to this world, so similar to the one they knew from the video game yet very different at the same time, the quest that would have dealt with the Goblin King before he became a threat was never taken. Thanks to that, the goblins crowned a king, who then decided to send out his forces to pillage and plunder the land.
Frightening enough to do the "glasses flash," fight? However, goblins aren't the only threat. What makes Log Horizon truly interesting isn't just how the goblins have come about because the Goblin King was never slain, but how it affects the People of the Earth. The People of the Earth, formerly NPCs in Elder Tales, are a society that was based off of older European culture. It follows the conscripts of many fantasy stories, where the times are more reminiscent medieval Europe, and their politics are quite similar. This presents an interesting contrast between the People of the Earth and the Adventurers, which causes friction during the debates on what they should do about the goblin army.
I feel that it's the People of the Earth who make this LN stand out so much. They aren't just NPCs in this. They are real people, and their politics harken back to days long forgotten. It makes for an interesting story.
Of course, there is far more to this story than just NPCs becoming real people. How Shiroe and the gang handle the political situation they've found themselves, how the goblins are dealt with, the carefully constructed world building, all of it feels a lot more well thought out than other LNs of its genre. Of course, having only read SAO and No Game No Life, I don't have much to compare it to, but between the three, this one is definitely my favorite.
If this story had one aspect that I didn't like, then it's how long winded it sometimes felt. There were occasions where the story felt like it was dragging on, describing aspects that would have been interesting if not for the fact that I was more curious about the story than the world building. They were in the middle of a war with the goblins. Such a thing should have been exhilarating, but some of the excitement was stolen because, during these scenes, the author would go on and on and on as he went into the perspective of whatever character the story was being told from at that time. There were occasions where it felt like pontificating for the sake of upping word count. That said, it wasn't as if I hated these moments. I just wished the story had moved a little faster.
In all regards, this series continues to stand at the top in terms of writing, world building, and character developing. I'm gonna buy the next volume.
October 2, 2016
Not really much I can say about this one since the anime faithfully recreates the events that transpire in this light novel.
"Game's End, Part 2" deals with the Adventurers finding out that there's a price to pay for immortality, the ongoing negotiations with Eastal, and the first large-scale battle against the armies of the Goblin King. Personally, I found the negotiations were one of the high-points of the story as they show us Shiroe's thoughts and schemes. He's my personal favourite of Log Horizon because while most other characters focus on the here and now, Shiroe's already thinking several steps ahead about what will or may happen and what to do about it. That's probably the reason why another high-point of the story for me was his application of the knowledge he's gathered so far to create a new form of magic, one with consequences that will ripple into the next volumes I'm sure.
If there is a low-point, it would be the author's continuous review of a MMORPG's rules and terminology, what slows down the reading. Also, Crusty's dealings with the Princess are not that engaging to be honest. As for the battle, while it certainly pays to read about it if you want to have a better understanding of what exactly is going on, its animated counterpart is the superior version.
In short, my experience with the Log Horizon light novels so far is that they are a good read if you want a more detailed account of the events that transpired but they usually get bogged down by the MMORPG stuff, ironically enough. Not a whole lot has transpired since Shiroe's creation of the Round Table Council and it shows. My recommendation stands, watch the show first and then decide. As I understand it, the next volume rounds up Season 1 of the anime. Hopefully, things will pick up in that one.
"Game's End, Part 2" deals with the Adventurers finding out that there's a price to pay for immortality, the ongoing negotiations with Eastal, and the first large-scale battle against the armies of the Goblin King. Personally, I found the negotiations were one of the high-points of the story as they show us Shiroe's thoughts and schemes. He's my personal favourite of Log Horizon because while most other characters focus on the here and now, Shiroe's already thinking several steps ahead about what will or may happen and what to do about it. That's probably the reason why another high-point of the story for me was his application of the knowledge he's gathered so far to create a new form of magic, one with consequences that will ripple into the next volumes I'm sure.
If there is a low-point, it would be the author's continuous review of a MMORPG's rules and terminology, what slows down the reading. Also, Crusty's dealings with the Princess are not that engaging to be honest. As for the battle, while it certainly pays to read about it if you want to have a better understanding of what exactly is going on, its animated counterpart is the superior version.
In short, my experience with the Log Horizon light novels so far is that they are a good read if you want a more detailed account of the events that transpired but they usually get bogged down by the MMORPG stuff, ironically enough. Not a whole lot has transpired since Shiroe's creation of the Round Table Council and it shows. My recommendation stands, watch the show first and then decide. As I understand it, the next volume rounds up Season 1 of the anime. Hopefully, things will pick up in that one.
December 22, 2025
Log Horizon, Vol. 4: Game’s End, Part 2 brings the first major arc of the series to a very satisfying close.
This volume focuses less on introducing new ideas and more on paying off everything that has been carefully built up so far. The political groundwork, the social structures in Akiba, and the rules of the world all start to matter in very concrete ways. Conflicts aren’t solved by brute force alone, but through planning, negotiation, and understanding how the system actually works—something Log Horizon has always done exceptionally well.
As a gamer, this volume feels especially rewarding. Strategies come together, mechanics are used intelligently, and victories feel earned rather than convenient. It really captures the feeling of a coordinated raid or endgame scenario, where preparation and teamwork matter more than raw power.
Character-wise, Game’s End, Part 2 strengthens the sense of community that defines the series. The cast feels more unified, and the stakes are higher—not just in terms of danger, but in what kind of society the players want to build going forward.
Overall, Volume 4 is a strong conclusion to the opening storyline. It reinforces what makes Log Horizon stand out among similar series: its focus on cooperation, systems, and long-term consequences. A very satisfying read and a clear signal that the series knows exactly what it wants to be.
This volume focuses less on introducing new ideas and more on paying off everything that has been carefully built up so far. The political groundwork, the social structures in Akiba, and the rules of the world all start to matter in very concrete ways. Conflicts aren’t solved by brute force alone, but through planning, negotiation, and understanding how the system actually works—something Log Horizon has always done exceptionally well.
As a gamer, this volume feels especially rewarding. Strategies come together, mechanics are used intelligently, and victories feel earned rather than convenient. It really captures the feeling of a coordinated raid or endgame scenario, where preparation and teamwork matter more than raw power.
Character-wise, Game’s End, Part 2 strengthens the sense of community that defines the series. The cast feels more unified, and the stakes are higher—not just in terms of danger, but in what kind of society the players want to build going forward.
Overall, Volume 4 is a strong conclusion to the opening storyline. It reinforces what makes Log Horizon stand out among similar series: its focus on cooperation, systems, and long-term consequences. A very satisfying read and a clear signal that the series knows exactly what it wants to be.
December 29, 2016
Definitely the best of the series so far. This series continues to offer interesting insights compared to the anime, and since this volume covers some of the most dramatic events in the anime, it makes sense that it's the most engaging.
There are some weird moments, definitely, and light novels have some formatting conventions that take some getting used to in English, but by this point I've more or less adjusted to those. The character development in these books is fantastic, for male and female characters alike, and that's what I continue to come back for.
There are some weird moments, definitely, and light novels have some formatting conventions that take some getting used to in English, but by this point I've more or less adjusted to those. The character development in these books is fantastic, for male and female characters alike, and that's what I continue to come back for.
January 26, 2014
Marmalade-sensei continues to write the best story of people stuck in a video game ever. His characters are realistic, their actions are rational and even the second-rank characters get a go at the spotlight. The use of foreshadowing and intricate plot twists are welcome and well done.
And Minori's growth was brilliant.
And Minori's growth was brilliant.
February 18, 2021
A nice continuation of the previous novel, with the Adventurers and People of the Earth getting entangled more and more, while still wary of the other. Raynessia was a fun character to follow this time around.
June 28, 2014
I'm really enjoying these, reading the fan translation from baka-tsuki. I enjoyed the anime based off of them as well but the books are much better. They are darker and the story seems more real.
June 28, 2016
I love this series....Not quite as funny as the previous three volumes, also wish it had more of Akatsuki. Overall though still great and can't wait for volume 5!
September 8, 2016
an excellent ending to this two parter. still wish there was more to Reinesia, just doesn't seem to grow as a character, although sometimes it feels like that is by design
March 29, 2016
Reinesia and Sister Touno are the best.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews