Another pleasant read by Hasekura, with translator Jasmine Bernhardt doing a great job. I like that the economics are still part of the book, even if they no longer drive the story. The idea of Col being a priest during the dawn of Protestantism is an interesting plot point, and I enjoyed this idea being in the story this way. I was a bit worried about the Myuri and Col relationship, but I thought it was handled well and never felt cringy as I feared it might become. A nice story with interesting characters and an interesting world.
I'm not sure if I feel it is 5 or 4 stars but I generally round up. It was a fun read, but I have enjoyed the economic-woven tales of Spice & Wolf more in some cases.
I must thank the author for bringing is back to this world, it has been dearly missed since finishing Spice & Wolf. the plot is especially interesting for someone who has recently been studying the reformation at its 500th anniversary, and the parallels are interesting enough to make valid arguments. The characters, Myuri and Col, make the series, however, and cannot wait to read more about their journey!
I have been trying to read this book for ages. Head trauma got in the way, but waiting for it made it all the sweeter. Great continuation of the series. I don't like it as much as Spice & Wolf, but that's a personal preference, not because it isn't written well. Definitely one to pick up whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series.
So I'm a big fan of theSpice & Wolf, Vol. 01-series, and when I heard the two MCs got a baby and we get to follow her on her own adventures, I was over-joyed! I always want to know what happen to characters I like further down the road. Do they stay happy? Do they get their dreams fullfilled? Does their lives change? With this book/series, I'm getting all those answers! (Not to mention that the Spice and Wolf series is still ongoing, I just haven't gotten started on the spring log-part of it yet!)
So, to this book! The whole story seemed a little less evolved than the previous books, but that fits. While Col is 22 years old, he drags around a 10 year old Myuri - the daughter of Holo and Lawrence - and he is generally less mature than Lawrence was. This is a + to the author, for he's managed to write two series in the same world, but give them their own unique voice, which is hard! Also compared to the parent-series, this book focuses much more on religion than economy. While money is still part of it, I like the twist of perspective.
Usually, I'm not a fan of books focusing on religion like this, but the way Col sees religion and what he wants to do with it, his dreams, work for me. He actually reminds me of one of my best friends, who's a priest, so guess the joke's on me.
The writing was good. The story was interesting. The characters original enough. All in all, I liked it a lot and am looking forward to dig into book 2.
!!!SPOILER!!!
The relationship between Myuri and Col. It both made me cringe and not. The idea of a younger sister thinking she has a crush on her older brother is natural, it happens to most, it seems. And so it was ok, especially because Col didn't return the feelings! That was good. The idea of it going anywhere still made me cringe, for even if they aren't family, they consider each other family, and that's when it gets weird.
Personagens não naturais (a Myuri parece a Horo, e isso não faz o menor sentido), nenhum conhecimento sobre teologia e protagonista protestante herege, além de parecer uma propaganda contra a Igreja Católica em alguns momentos. Sequer parece ser do mesmo autor de Spice and Wolf; teve uma trama simples com resultados previsíveis e uma "epifania" do personagem principal forçada na página 185 (uma "cópia barata" de diversos momentos da novel anterior) e um clímax apressado e sem graça nas páginas 191 e 192. Não apresentou nada que indicasse que realmente houve uma pesquisa funda acerca do tema, talvez apenas naquele trecho sobre os copistas nas páginas 104 e 105.
Apesar de todos esses defeitos, ainda foi bonitinho e agradável de ler, como na belíssima página 95: " 'It's okay,' Myuri said, bending back and looking at him again. 'Like Mother has Father, I have you. Right?' ". Acho que irei continuar só pelo romance mesmo e com alguma expectativa de um capítulo onde a Horo e o Lawrence apareçam, apesar de achar que isso eu irei encontrar no Spring Log.
Frankly I'm a bit disappointed with this book and that is entirely my fault as I was the one who had unrealistic expectations.
Wolf & Parchment is the sequel series to Spice & Wolf and it follows Col and Myuri, Holo and Lawrence's daughter. Whereas S&W had trade as a focus since Lawrence was a travelling merchant, this one focuses on the Church as Col is an aspiring priest.
In this volume Col sets off on a journey to help the Winfield Kingdom's heir goal of translating the words of God into the common language, and Myuri secretly goes along.
Overall, I would have to say I both enjoyed and disliked a lot from this book. I had just assumed I would love this before reading it and continue this series but now I am not so sure. I think I still may give vol 2 a chance but it won't be soon.
Set 15 years after the events of the series Spice and Wolf, the child of our previous hero Myuri and the child our hero met along their journey, are now off on a journey of their own, to translate thenword of God. Cole is an aspiring priest who wants to create reform in the church in the hopes that it would benefit the lives of the people, much to the chagrin of Myuri. The duties of a priest makes any romance between them an impossibility, or does it... What will our heroes discover as they learn more about themselves and the teachings of God?
Spice & Wolf fans rejoice! Isuna Hasekura brings us back to the S&W world with a change of protagonists. Instead of Lawrence and Holo, we now see the story told through Col's eyes with Miyuri as his companion. While these characters are different from the original duo in S&W in many ways, their relationship with each other and their differences make the story very interesting. Even if many things have changed from the original story, the witty banter between the two main characters is still there albeit in a different manner.
This is a great sequel/spinoff for those that want to see more of the S&W universe.
Spice & Wolf was amazing! Different! Even with two seasons of anime in addition to the light novels it left readers wanting more and the writer doesn’t disappoint!
A sequel to one of the most celebrated light novels, Wolf & Parchment follows the journey of an aspiring priest and the child of a pagan wolf god. Without comparing to its predecessor, this story focuses on politics and religion in a fictional Middle Ages, with a smattering of economics. The author once again flexes his talent of putting real-life topics in a fantasy setting. The only lackluster section is in the characters which often seemed simple-minded and resorts to cliched behavior instead of having unique, memorable traits.
A bit preachy but I am still interested enough to read the next one. I enjoyed the parent series of Spice and Wolf very much. I hope this will start to move toward more adventure.
Did not finish. Was a library donation to check before putting it on shelves. Way too much discussion of bathhouses and underage relations. Plot did not flow.
The pinnacle of what each S&W fan wishes to reach after the rollercoaster of the original 17 volumes. It's still S&W, but with an entirely different spin and new cast. It's so good, I could cry.