Overlord, Vol. 5: The Men of the Kingdom Part I

Overlord #5

by Kugane Maruyama, so-bin (Artist)

(Volume 3)
Lord Ainz has made great progress moonlighting as the indomitable hero Momon, but what should be a moment of triumph is shattered--by news of rebellion. He vows to find out what has happened and to defend the honor of his guild and home--Ainz Ooal Gown.

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Manga, Magic, Adventure, Novels

272 pages, Hardcover

First published December 28, 2013

About the author

MARUYAMA Kugane
Name (in native language): 丸山くがね

Reviews

[Estevam (Impish Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite so far, just because focused on my favorite character Sebas.

[Chopra Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overlord 5: Men of the Kingdom Part 1 by Kugane Maruyama follows the lives of men living in the kingdom of Re-Estize and is the 5th installment in the Overlord series. This specific book is almost completely lacking the main character of the series, Ainz, instead focusing primarily on one of his subordinates, Sebas Tian the butler, along with Brain Unglaus and Climb, 2 swordsmen introduced in the previous books. We get to see moments of their lives that eventually lead to the three of them teaming up to take on a villain organization known as the “Eight Fingers”. This volume shows how different people lead different lives and how they can affect each other. It has very engaging fights, builds up character development, and gives a better understanding of the world and its people. The novel tells a very well thought out story that fully immerses the reader in its deep and rich environment.
Kugane Maruyama’s way of storytelling lets the reader understand every character in his books. There is one scene where Sebas is taking a stroll to sort out his thoughts and encounters a few drunkards beating a child. He swiftly knocks the biggest one out, saving the boy, and as he continues his walk he notices a couple people start to follow him. Then, a boy named Climb calls out to him. After that, we read about it again, but this time from Climb’s point of view. [The old man had made a fist and whacked the drunk’s jaw with terrifying accuracy–at quite a high speed. It was a punch that even Climb, who trained his eyes to follow fast movements, could only just make out. “Do you still want to fight?” The old man’s deep, quiet voice asked the question. His composure and sudden display of strength were incredibly sobering for the drunk men. No, even the spectators were overcome by the old man’s drive. The men had completely lost the will to fight.] (pg.167) This leads to Climb following Sebas and asking for training. After a quick, yet intense and possibly life-threatening training session, Sebas is about to move on with his day, until he hears a new voice stopping him. It was the voice of Brain Unglaus. We then see Brain’s POV for his morning starting after he left his house up until he calls out to Sebas. The same scene is repeated 3 times, but not without reason. It gives the readers a good look at how different people respond and react to one encounter in their own ways. How each character feels in a given situation and why they take the actions that they decide to take. This detailed approach of storytelling is prominent in all of the Overlord books, resulting in a very satisfying experience for the reader.
This volume provides an opportunity to really understand the world and characters outside of the main characters of the series. This book is best enjoyed by people that like their characters to make sense and analyze what makes a story. Though the pacing may be a little slow for some, with a small moment taking multiple paragraphs to describe everything in depth, it’s a great book that gives the reader a better understanding of how people work.

[Tarl · Rating 4 out of 5]

So in volume 5 we turn from the lizard people to one of the human kingdoms as we follow Sebas around on his journey. After the slog that was the lizard people, I was kind of disappointed that we would be concentrating on more world building, even though I knew it was coming since I have watched the anime.

This book was surprisingly good and I actually enjoyed it a fair bit. It follows existing human characters as well as Sebas, and shows that not everything in Nazarick is all cozy-cozy and there is indeed tension among some of its members. It also shows how Brian deals with his defeat early on against Shalltear and the steps he goes on to start returning to himself.

The writing is pretty solid in this one, and there are some interesting ideas presented. Like most of this series, the moments of violence are quite jarring when compared to the rest of the writing, and generally stand out significantly in order to point out that the world you are reading about is realistic and not at all like many isekai stories out there.

The story ends on a cliff hanger, and for a change it is one that made me want to rush out and get the next volume as soon as I could. It also presents people who could very well be antagonists later on against Nazarick, but who are allies at this point of time.

Overall I liked this book and am glad that it didn't drag as much as the lizard people volume did for me. The art, as always, fits the feel of the story perfectly and adds a lot of atmosphere to the tale with a mix of realism and brutal pen strokes. At this point, if you aren't reading this series, I highly recommend it. Though at times it feels like a power fantasy for most of the people from Nazarick, there is some very well thought out character development going on and more than enough to get you invested in the characters.

And really, by the end of this one, you're going to be wondering just what is up with the princess...

[Jorge Rosas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was marvelous book, mostly centered in Sebas Tian and in the human capital of the Kingdom, the organized crime has an extensive network and it’s crippling the kingdom, supported by many nobles and protected by the corruption, this super powerful crime organization clashes with the noble Sebas and that puts him in a dire situation because his mission is now compromised.
I loved the character development in this book, we find a broken Brain after his encounter with a certain vampire, we meet a young a naïve but madly loyal soldier, and we get to know Sebas and his complicated situation given that he his a good person but still a loyal servant of the mostly evil Nazarick.

[Aelvana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brain Ungulus is a shattered man after his encounter with Shalltear Bloodfallen. But Gazef Stronoff, his old rival, might be what he needs to get on his feet again. In the castle, Princess Renner is mostly useless, but she has a very devoted servant in Climb, who will do anything for her. Sebas and Solution are in the country simply to gather information, but Sebas's kind nature soon gets him in trouble with the local criminals. When Climb's path intersects with Sebas, Climb gets a glimpse of ultimate power . . .

This novel has fun moments, but by and large it's mostly setting the stage for what happens in part 2. I like seeing some of the fallout from things like Brain's fight with an enemy he absolutely couldn't beat. Similarly, it's interesting to compare Brain and Climb's reactions to Sebas. Brain can't help but compare Sebas to Shalltear, but Climb's one-track mind allows him a different perspective.

Of course the best moments by far are watching Sebas take down a tiny corner of a corrupt organization. When the butler gets mad, the butler proves he's just as capable of smashing in heads as anyone in Nazarick (and he'll continue to look classy while doing it). My only regret is that there's nothing even approaching a threat big enough to cause him to reveal his alternate dragon form (mentioned in book 3, but so far has yet to make an appearance even through book 11).

Sebas is also easy to feel sorry for because he's the one person at Nazarick with something approaching basic human decency. He was the creation of Touch Me, who besides being the strongest person in the original game, was also the one who brought the guild together because of his compassion towards players who were having a hard time. Sebas inherited that desire to help the suffering (although he does have a condition I like: they have to be willing to struggle themselves. If they're just not strong enough, that's something he'll help with, but if they're not even going to try, he's not going to bother). But he's surrounded at Nazarick with a host of beings who don't think like he does, and after Shalltear's betrayal, aren't willing to trust anything that looks like disloyalty . . .

Overall this novel drags on a bit. It's unfortunate that even the bits about Sebas and Brain don't really carry the long passages about Climb and Renner. Hopefully this will be part of what's animated for season 2, which is due to start airing in January. That should help significantly by cutting out all the description in favor of visuals, therefore truncating the more boring parts for the actual fun. At any rate, though, since this does set up the next book, it's not really skippable in order to understand some of what goes on there. I rate this book Recommended.

See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....

[LiteratureIsLife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2017/11/...

This review will contain some spoilers for the previous Overlord light novels.

The Men in the Kingdom Part 1 is a bit tricky to review since it is only half a story. By and large, this book feels more like it is just getting things ready for the next one. While it is true that nothing too crazy happens, there are some other key points to the novel. Aside from the set-up for Part II, this story does a lot for world building and character development in Overlord.

It has been clearly established that Ainz and his minions are all-powerful compared to the other inhabitants of this world. If their goal was simply to raze everything to the ground they could do so, easily. But Ainz works on the assumption that there are powers that could threaten them in this world. To that end he attempts to gather information and that sets up our world-building. This novel focuses on Sebas and Solution gathering information in the capital city of the nearest country. Their actions allow us readers to see what everyday life is like in this world for human civilians.

World-building and character development are a bit linked here, with a few regular human characters introduced. We meet the princess of the kingdom, her loyal bodyguard, one of the few groups of the highest-ranking adventurers, and revisit Brain (the warrior who fought Shalltear in volume 3). For the main characters, this book focuses on Sebas. Seeing each of Ainz’s top people get their own story is fantastic; many other series would just turn at least some of them into background characters. Sebas himself is also interesting because he is one of the inherently good denizens of Nazarick. He will follow his orders, but will also try to do the honorable thing within the boundaries of those orders.

Overall this book was enjoyable, but again it is only half of a story. The stopping point for this novel did feel pretty good. There is a little bit of a cliffhanger to tease audiences, but it is done in a fun way. Given how much this book felt like set-up, Men in the Kingdom Part II will probably be action packed. That is not to say it is not interesting to see the characters maneuver through politics as well as battlefields. And there is a bit of fighting in this book, just nothing over the top. But Men in the Kingdom Part I definitely gives the sense that there is a greater battle to come.

[xuskw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Switching gears from novel #4, we leave the Lizardmen to focus on Sebas and his adventures in the capital. In my review for novel #4, I said it was my favorite novel so far. This novel steals that crown.

In this story, we get to read about the baddass fighting skills Sebas possesses, as well as undergo a moral dilemma with him, which results in him being in hot water with Lord Ainz. This story expands on the idea that the guardians are free-thinking beings, capable of making their own choices, but also that the guardians behavior is directly linked to the behavior of the Supreme Being that created them. This creates issues between different characters: Between Sebas and Solution, Sebas and Demiurge, Sebas and Ainz, and so on. Sebas' creator was more kind-hearted, and that reflects in Sebas' behavior. After all, he is categorized as "Extreme Good" in the appendix.

We also get to read more about Climb and Brain, who undergo a good bit of character growth throughout their adventure with Sebas.

This novel also manages to set the stage for even bigger events to come in the next novel. If you've enjoyed any of the Overlord novels so far, I believe this one will be the best one so far.

[Dex Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 5 in the series deviates from the perspective of the MC to develop the side characters through a brutal storyline. Climb, Brain, Sebas, Solution, and Tsuare are the main protagonists of this volume and I feel their story sheds light on all of these characters very well. I especially enjoy their chemistry. The antagonists consist of a few VIP members from an underground criminal organization and serve to show the unforgivable brutality that humans are capable of while the protagonist cast contrast this with the almost naïve hope for humanity.

Altogether I've enjoyed this book in the series the most so far, as it pulls back the curtain on the background characters and helps to display their inner thoughts and conflicts. Like ants building a colony in an exterminators backyard, the evil/good human forces present in the novel are unaware of their inevitable fate though they labor aimlessly in their ignorance.

This series does a great job of encapsulating it's absurdist viewpoint in the parody of the story its trying to tell.

The series is amazing and I hope it makes it to the end.

[kae · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is predictable but I like the depth Maruyama tries to build in each character, showcasing different levels of good vs evil. Overall quite plain compared to the previous ones.

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't find Climb a particularly interesting character so the first third or so of this volume is a bit of a drag but it picks up once all three stories intersect.

[AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun!
I am happy with how much time the author spends building up all the characters and the world. You don't see that much in the light novel sphere.

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, here we are with another volume of Overlord. This light novel series has gone interesting places, and I’m always pleasantly surprised by what happens next. Overlord, Volume 5: The Men of the Kingdom Part 1 by Kugane Maruyama is the start to an interesting new arc in the series focusing more on Sebas and several human characters.

If you would like to catch up on the series you can check out our reviews for Overlord Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, and Volume 4.

Overlord Vol 5: The Men of the Kingdom Part 1 is the part of a two part arc in the Overlord series. This volume continues where volume 4 left off. In Re-Estize the criminal underworld is run by the Eight Fingers. Ainz has ordered Sebas to see what he can learn about the organization. His path crosses with Climb, a young soldier and retainer to the Golden Princess, and Brain Unglaus, who has lost all faith in his abilities after crossing paths with Shalltear Bloodfallen.

Ainz doesn’t feature in this volume almost at all. Instead, the focus is placed on Sebas, Brain Unglaus, and a young knight named Climb. The first half of the book introduces Climb, the city, the politics of the capital city and its seedy underbelly. The pacing is a bit slower than previous volumes. This is most apparent within the first half of the novel which introduces several new characters, a new city landscape, and the inner workings of human world politics. While interesting, a few of these scenes did carry on just a little too long. Climb felt like a fly on the wall for pages on end at the start of this volume. Whatever agency he seemingly lacked was played upon throughout the rest of the novel. His strength is

but he does come into his own as the story continues. His background was interesting, shed more light onto his personality.

The first half does, of course, have fantastic moments in its own right. We catch up with Brain Unglas and Gazef Stronoff, two men who have had very different experiences with the inhabitants of Nazarick. Brain is a broken man after his encounter with Shalltear. He is brought to the absolute lowest point we’ve seen him so far, utterly terrified of Shalltear and her power while no longer trusting his own abilities.

The most interesting character within the volume was Sebas, who shares the spotlight along with the newly introduced young knight. While he was always one of the more fascinating denizens of the Tomb of Nazarick, he really shines in this volume. Sebas has a softer side, a more human side, than the vast majority of his fellows, something he shared with his original creator. He has more obvious agency than many of the others, truly thinking for himself and making his own decisions rather than the obsessive focus of doing Ainz’s bidding the majority of the other character’s show. This is due, largely, to his original creator being the one who founded the guild. That player’s kindness and urge to help is something that was passed onto Sebas.

Of course, this sort of behavior isn’t something the others understand or agree with despite Ainz’s own attempts at conveying the need for his subjects to make their own decisions and voice their own needs and opinions. Sebas is at odds with himself, trying to balance the needs of Nazarick and Ainz’s wishes while following his own morals and desires. Contention between Sebas and others grows throughout the volume, and he quickly became the character I was most invested in. I have always likes Sebas, but here he became a character very easy to understand and empathize with.

Overlord Vol. 5 takes the more serious tone of volume 4 and ramps it even higher. The tropes and fan service are not at all apparent here. There are few lighthearted, comedic moments at all. There is no intermission chapter as there were in previous light novels. We see a much darker side of this world than in previous volumes, which is saying something considering our main characters are all undead beings serving an Litch Overlord. The deep underworld is explored, with human trafficking being a large plot point of the novel. This volume doesn’t shy away from the dark or the gruesome.

The last fifty pages or so of the light novel is where things get really tense. The great fights we’ve seen in previous light novels return, and the pacing increases exponentially. While there is a relatively satisfying conclusion to this volume, there is quite a cliffhanger. The arc is not concluded in this volume, with plenty of room for continuing in The Men of the Kingdom Part 2, the sixth volume in the Overlord series.

As with previous volumes, so-bin’s art is absolutely beautiful. Full page, full color artwork is included at the start to each chapter. The large foldout spread from previous volumes doesn’t seem to be included in volume 5, however. At the very least, my copy doesn’t have one. More character pages are included at the end of the volume, highlighting both newly introduced characters and previously introduced characters who hadn’t yet gotten a stats page of their own.

If you are planning on reading Overlord Vol. 5: The Men of the Kingdom Part 1 I would suggest thinking about getting a copy of Overlord Vol 6 at the same time. While this volume does have a decent conclusion, the arc clearly isn’t over and this volume does end on quite the cliffhanger. Overall, this was another good installment in a great series, and I will definitely be continuing on with Volume 6.

This review originally found on Looking Glass Reads.

[Julie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brain Unglaus is but a shell of his former self. A one-time equal of the hero Gazef Stronoff, his encounter with Shalltear has broken him. Gazef is appalled at the change he sees in Brain and wants to help him. Meanwhile, a certain butler is going about his master’s business, and three masked women are determined to rid the kingdom of the horrible affliction which threatens its very integrity – namely, the drug business conducted by the Eight Fingers. And a young boy named Climb is determined to be the very best that he can be, in order to serve the beautiful princess who commands his heart.

Leaving the wizard’s guild – a place where he is highly thought of and admired for his elegance – Sebas proceeds to continue with his mission of mapping out the geography of Re-Estize. Which means going to areas he’s never seen before, some of which might be less than safe. But Sebas is secure in the knowledge that he can handle himself. As he walks through a particularly seedy part of town, he runs across a situation he cannot have anticipated, and finds himself saving the life of a young woman who has been terribly abused and may have been about to face even worse. He intervenes and, after defeating her captors, whisks her back to the house where he and Solution are staying. But has he produced a problem for himself, and by extension, for his master?

Solution is perturbed at Sebas’ actions, especially when it leads other people coming to the house to question him. He takes care of the situation, but she is uneasy. Perhaps she should let their lord know something of what is going on that he may determine whether the butler’s actions were correct or not.

Sebas leaves the house again, and as he walks along, he realizes he is being followed by several people. Some of them have bad intentions, but two he thinks do not. The two are Brain and Climb, and having taken care of the others, Sebas decides to talk with them. Sebas tells them about the young girl whose life he saved, and what he intends to do. Brain and Climb are indignant that such a thing should happen… and they are in.

The fifth volume of Overlord is the first part of The Men of the Kingdom. Now we are seeing what have become familiar faces to us, that is Brain and Climb, as well as Gazef, and we meet some new characters. Sebas is a very interesting character. I love how the various NPCs from Nazarick have been named by their gamer/creators according to their own whims and fancies. Sebas’ last name is Tian. SebasTian – clearly named after the beloved butler from Black Butler. Still, it tickles me. Not that he looks like Sebastian. But to be honest, Sebastian doesn’t look like himself either, as he is a demon and took a form in order to pass among the humans. Sebas Tian is an elegant gentleman, with a kind heart, which may prove to be his undoing, although I hope not. I hope Ainz will be amenable to what he has done, but that remains to be seen.

Ainz is only seen in the intermission in this volume, but that’s okay too. The world continues to be a fascinating place. I admit I held a contemptuous opinion of Brain from before, but I am glad to say that is changing. I’ve always liked Climb, but I am also afraid for him. Something I read has me wondering what is going on here, and is there some deception at play? Only time will tell.

The volume ends on a cliffhanger. Can’t wait to see what happens in Volume 6. Love this series so much!

[Pablo García · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it a contradiction that the author makes his NPC (non player character) more human and emotional than Ainz (Momon - Suzuki) the actual human that feels nothing has little or no human emotions, feelings or physiological needs (eat, go to bathroom, sexual desires, etc). In Volume 4 Cocytus showed a need to "save" the respected lizard warriors, so much so that they resurrected them. In this 5 volume, Sebas another NPC, saves a girl from her predators and then another boy from his beaters.
The only possible excuse the main character has, is that maybe, he still believes he is in a game-like world, instead of being in another world that is real.
I find it a contradiction that volume 5 is gore, sex, sexual assault, rape, slavery, etc. if the game did not even allow physical contacts much less the worse possible organized crime and white slavery, S&M, etc.
I do not consider it character development to show ethical values, human conduct of former NPC's precisely because of Ainz sociopathy-psychopathy (doesn't show feelings and nothing moves him).
To create a dystopia, to create a world that is filled with evil, and have the main character as the "overlord" of this foresaken world is sad and terrible. There is already enough crime, evil on Earth and our "reality" to clone the worst in our world or "worser" than worst in this "new overlord world".

[Rolaka Pisarka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom 5 zaskoczył mnie na wszystkie możliwe sposoby. Po dosyć słabej adaptacji sceptycznie podchodziłam do tomu i wydarzeń, jakie miały miejsce na łamach tego tomu. Nie lubiłam Sebasa, tego że wydarzenia przeskoczyły z głównego bohatera na bohaterów pobocznych. W anime niechętnie podeszłam do ludzkich postaci, a tu? Po prostu zaskoczyło mnie wszystko. Mimo że anime naprawdę wiernie odzwierciedliło wydarzenia, to nie umiało sobie poradzić z pacingiem. Light novelka nie ma tego problemu. Nie nudzimy się. Ciągle coś się dzieje, przeskakujemy z bohatera na bohatera, poznajemy jego słabości, wady, trudny życia, historię. W końcu muszę przyznać, że to naprawdę dobry tom. I wcale nie brakuje mi Aizena. Sebas, Climb i Brain w zupełności mi wystarczą. Jeden tom, a zdążyłam ich polubić, trochę się z nimi utożsamić. Poza tym dłużej "poznajemy" tą złą organizację. Nie wiem, ale w anime jakoś tak nie interesowało mnie ich istnienie, tutaj bardziej się wszystkim przejęłam.
I jeszcze jedna sprawa, spokojnie można zacząć czytanie Overlorda od tego tomu. Naprawdę. Dobry początek, fajna akcja i wcale nie trzeba aż tak bardzo znać wydarzeń z poprzednich tomów, by rozkoszować się lekturą tego. Polecam serdecznie!

[Juazt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este volumen me conmovió profundamente, pues nos muestra una luz inesperada en el corazón de las tinieblas. A través de Sebas Tian, la historia explora la antítesis perfecta de Nazarick: la compasión frente a la crueldad, el honor frente a la conveniencia. Su rectitud brilla como una solitaria flor blanca creciendo en un campo de cenizas, un faro de principios inquebrantables en medio de un océano de oscuridad.

La más bella ironía de la obra se manifiesta en él: el personaje que encarna las virtudes más nobles y humanas —el caballero protector, el guardián de la justicia— no es humano en absoluto. Es un monstruo cuya alma resulta más pura que la de aquellos a quienes protege y, a la vez, a quienes podría destruir. Su decencia es una rebelión silenciosa contra la fría lógica de su entorno.

Ver su carácter chocar con la indiferencia de sus pares fue fascinante. Es la lucha entre la humanidad que Ainz dejó atrás y la monstruosidad que ahora lidera. Sebas no es solo un mayordomo; es la conciencia perdida de Nazarick, un recordatorio de que incluso en la noche más oscura, un solo acto de bondad puede tener el peso de una estrella.

[Saurav Adhikari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary
Basically this book is about a guy who gets transfered into a frictional world or a game where he is overpowered and has ~42 overpowered followers who thinks he (Momanga or something like that later he becomes Ainz) is the greatest and the best. One of my best Frictional novels I have ever read.
It joins togather comedy with the seriousness and also answers about the reality of socitey. It's fun when his followers overpraise him about something he dosen't Know.
For example one of his Smartest follower Demurgus thinks Momanga is smarter than him their conversetion goes like.

Momanga: So everything is fine right?
Demurgus: Oh how smart of you My lordyou found something was wrong So fast? You are talking about that right?
Momanga: Yes that?
Demurgus: That is amazing?
Momanga: Oh, Can you solve That?
Demurgus: Of course that is not a probelm.
Momanga (on his heart): "But i dont know what that is?"

[Elilith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce livre était mieux que le dernier qui était déjà mieux que le début d'une série qui me laissait vraiment de marbre mais que j'ai essayé de continuer à lire par esprit de complétion. Enfin ce livre introduit des personnages attachants et aux motivations claires, malheureusement la fin semble laisser entendre qu'on se retrouvera de nouveau avec le "personnage principal" plus plat et inintéressant que des coquillettes natures. Ça a l'air sympa mais franchement on se lasse vite. Un des points qui m'a cependant rendu la lecture laborieuse était l'insistance avec laquelle on appuyait sur le fait qu'un des personnages n'avait pas de talent. Et que l'entraînement ne servait à rien sans talent etc. Très fatiguant à la longue et franchement pas quelque chose que j'ai envie de m'entendre répéter dix fois quand je lis un livre pour m'évader dans une power fantasy ...

[Carmelo Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otra vez una novela ligera, y otra vez cinco estrellas. Una novela redonda, bien traducida la versión que estoy siguiendo, con Fantasía de capa y espada con una vuelta de tuerca y un world building genial. Arrastrar un encuentro casual de hace varios volúmenes hasta ahora y que lo puedas ver... Tirarse dos páginas diciendo las motivaciones y trasfondo de un personaje como si fueras a hacer una novela corta sobre él para después despacharlo con uno de los protagonistas pasando sobre él como si fuera césped es brutalmente divertido. Te quedas con una sensación muy buena después de leerlo, y me ha tenido leyendo de madrugada para acabar un capítulo. De nuevo el protagonista con poder infinito es el alivio cómico de unos secundarios (los monstruos, no los humanos) que son de lo mejorcito.

[Pedro · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those wondering, volume 5 covers episodes 6 - 9 of season 2.

To be honest the only reason I am reading the Overlord Light Novels is for the cut flavor text. Of course, the anime has to cut corners where it can to make that 22 minute run time per episode, and it does a great job at adapting what it can, but the cut dialogues in the light novels make the extra effort worth it.

Also, the afterword explains that the next volume is 90% original content (separate from the Web Novel, not sure about the anime) so I am excited to read that.

3/5 Bad pacing, but I like Sebas, so worth it.

[Andre · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐
Sebas Tian: 4🌟

“De la misma forma en que la belleza está en los ojos de quien la mira, si existe belleza humana además de la apariencia, creo que está en el interior y no en el pasado.”

“Aquello que usted cultivó es débil. Se debe a que, si usted cae, será el fin. Pero si fuera algo que construyó al lado de alguien, algo que entrega a alguien más, no se perderá aunque usted caiga.”

“...La fuerza para el beneficio de alguien más supera a la fuerza que se obtiene para el beneficio propio.”

[Bryan Boo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Book 5 in the Overlord series. I feel that Maruyama’s writing has gotten better and more skilful. Book 5 was more descriptive and probably the most adult-themed thus far. But every character logically contributed to the story. And I particularly enjoyed following Sebas’ dilemma, struggling between his absolute loyalty to Ains and his own character and personality. With an “extremely good” nature, as written in the book, it really makes me want to read more about how he balances being this extremely good natured person with being a grotesque that generally detests humans.

[Ricardo Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first couple of chapters are uninteresting, with the author following some of the LN troupes to the letter.
Fortunately, the last 3 chapters improve a lot. Sebas is an extremely likeable character and his sheet at the end explains a bit of what’s going on... he’s alignment is +300 but he works for an evil clan and therefore he’s constantly trying to do good while clashing with his forced allies.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me, volume 5 of Overlord suffers from devoting a lot of its time to setting up volume 6, and from having a less interesting cast. Unlike in volume 4, where the shift of narrative focus away from Nazarick is effective, volume 5 makes you wish you were back at Nazarick with Ainz more. The character of Sebas is interesting and sympathetic, but even he is not in the spotlight enough. This is probably my least favorite Overlord volume.

[Vincent Archer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another side-story, without Lord Momonga at all.

And while it is interesting, and you get a bunch of interesting characters and background, but it is still missing some of what, I think, makes such a series work. Having a side character focus is interesting. Having almost an entire book dedicated to side characters ends up more unsatisfying. The mandatory late appearance of Supreme Being Momonga, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, feels more like a mandatory insert.

[Pumpkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars as actual rating.

The first quarter of the book lulled much more then I’m used to for this series, but knowing what comes next it makes sense. The rest of the book was just as amazing as the previous books, though.

I do feel the need to note that those who have triggers against domestic violence and non-consent should be wary of one (maaaaybe two) scene(s) in this book. While the scene I’m thinking of is graphic, it’s resolved in a way that feels satisfactory.

[Jennifer Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kugane Maruyama still does not fail to deliver a world that ends up sucking in the reader and leaves them wanting more.

I really hope that he writes at least the 17 books that were planned originally and even better yet. It would great if he could write even more.

I look forward to the next book and finding out what happens to Sebas. Spoiler alert, I watched the anime so I know, but the book and the anime are not exactly the same.

So happy!

[Tulip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent character work for the human characters of the Kingdom.
The setting it becoming well fleshed out enough that it's clear Einz is a whale in an ocean; he is massively powerful but not omnipotent.

[Anga Kyla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the most boring and tedious volume so far. Climb is boring and gosh can he please stop waxing poetic about that crazy princess Renner please. I'm so sick of it.
Brain is boring. Gazef is boring. Jeez everything's boring.
The only interesting thing is Sebas.

[Eric Slon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandes sebassss

Me gusta que Ainz que se suponía el protagonista no aparezca más que 10 páginas al final, haciendo notar que al final la protagonista es la tumba de Nazarick o más bien, sus habitantes