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新説 狼と香辛料 狼と羊皮紙 (Novel) #4
新説 狼と香辛料 狼と羊皮紙IV
神をも畏れぬ守銭奴・美しき女商人エーブとの再会! 急展開の第4弾!
ウィンフィール王国第二位の港湾都市ラウズボーン。ニョッヒラを出て初めての大都市に心躍らせる賢狼の娘ミューリと、教会変革の使命を胸に燃やすコルだったが、二人を待ち受けていたのは、武装した徴税人たちだった。
ハイランドの機転で窮地を脱した二人。どうやら「薄明の枢機卿」と讃えられるコルの活躍が、皮肉にも王国と教会の対立に拍車をかけていることを知る。
このままでは、戦争を避けられない。打つ手無しの中、コルに助け船を出したのは、ロレンスのかつての好敵手、女商人エーブだった。
神をも畏れぬ守銭奴は、果たして敵か味方か。コルは教会、王国、商人の三つ巴の争いに身を投じる――!
ウィンフィール王国第二位の港湾都市ラウズボーン。ニョッヒラを出て初めての大都市に心躍らせる賢狼の娘ミューリと、教会変革の使命を胸に燃やすコルだったが、二人を待ち受けていたのは、武装した徴税人たちだった。
ハイランドの機転で窮地を脱した二人。どうやら「薄明の枢機卿」と讃えられるコルの活躍が、皮肉にも王国と教会の対立に拍車をかけていることを知る。
このままでは、戦争を避けられない。打つ手無しの中、コルに助け船を出したのは、ロレンスのかつての好敵手、女商人エーブだった。
神をも畏れぬ守銭奴は、果たして敵か味方か。コルは教会、王国、商人の三つ巴の争いに身を投じる――!
424 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2019
7 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 7, 2020
In Summary
Our travelers arrive in Rausbourne to find it teetering on the brink of war. The Twilight Cardinal’s actions have spurred people to openly challenge the Church, but an armed conflict might just bring the Winfiel Kingdom to ruin. Col is confronted with the fact that his actions have worldwide consequences, and this volume is less adventuring and more pondering how to use his far-flung influence.
The Review
After their detour in Desarev, Col and Myuri finally arrive in Rausbourne, where Col’s supposed to report to the noblewoman Hyland. Unfortunately, their boat hasn’t even docked in the city port when Col’s taken into custody by the Rausbourne Tax Collector Association, an incident which immediately triggers a confrontation with the local traders’ association.
Col’s activities in the North haven’t gone unnoticed, and the deeds of the Twilight Cardinal have emboldened the Rausbourne tax collectors to get belligerent with the local religious authorities. On the surface, it looks like another Kingdom backed foray against the corrupt Church. However, the tax collectors are backed by Heir Klevend, a royal upstart out to usurp the throne. Additionally, the clergy are holed up in the cathedral, unwilling to engage anyone, but they don’t have to fight because merchants and their mercenaries are facing the tax collectors for them.
This is a situation with multiple actors, not all of them obvious, and their motivations aren’t what you’d immediately assume. The bulk of the story is Col and Myuri getting to the heart of the conflict and discovering more layers than they imagined. While the complexity makes it interesting, it’s not a light read. Having to keep track of how everyone is connected and why was a real mental workout.
While the original Spice and Wolf arc was sparing with its nonhuman characters, Col and Myuri seem to encounter a new nonhuman with each leg of their journey, and here it’s Sharon, the head of the Tax Collector Association. Heir Hyland, whom we haven’t seen since the early part of Volume 2, returns to the story, and we get a real blast from the past with the crafty merchant Eve arriving in Rausbourne. It’s because of the unique connections Col and Myuri have with these individuals that Col’s able to get a grasp on the situation, but watching the different personalities interact is pretty fun, too. Col may be a mild-mannered guy, but he attracts strong females. Despite his intentions of celibacy, one scene in particular with Myuri, Eve, and Hyland seems awfully like a harem situation.
Hasekura-sensei does a good job interweaving Winfiel politics, economic opportunity, and a defensive religious organization into the plot. There is an aspect I found troubling though. Along with the Church’s financial corruption, this volume adds the sin of sexual impurity. Basically, most priests had affairs, so much so these illicit relationships were an open secret. To make it worse, when they abandoned their lovers and children to rise in the church ranks, the Church deliberately and knowingly altered records to erase any inconvenient relationships.
Despite his desire to reform the Church, when Col meets one such priest, his response is less indignation and more along the lines of, “Well, he had his reasons.” Weirder is that another pastor, who himself is one of these illegitimate children, is in love with a woman, and the solution is to settle the pair together in a monastery dedicated to raising orphans rather than having the pastor find work that doesn’t require celibacy. Given that no one seems capable of following the celibacy rule, it seems odd Col never questions its necessity. At any rate, if the Church gets any more rotten than this, Myuri may be right that it’s better to destroy and build something new rather than to clean house.
Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, world map, eight black-and-while illustrations, and afterword.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
Our travelers arrive in Rausbourne to find it teetering on the brink of war. The Twilight Cardinal’s actions have spurred people to openly challenge the Church, but an armed conflict might just bring the Winfiel Kingdom to ruin. Col is confronted with the fact that his actions have worldwide consequences, and this volume is less adventuring and more pondering how to use his far-flung influence.
The Review
After their detour in Desarev, Col and Myuri finally arrive in Rausbourne, where Col’s supposed to report to the noblewoman Hyland. Unfortunately, their boat hasn’t even docked in the city port when Col’s taken into custody by the Rausbourne Tax Collector Association, an incident which immediately triggers a confrontation with the local traders’ association.
Col’s activities in the North haven’t gone unnoticed, and the deeds of the Twilight Cardinal have emboldened the Rausbourne tax collectors to get belligerent with the local religious authorities. On the surface, it looks like another Kingdom backed foray against the corrupt Church. However, the tax collectors are backed by Heir Klevend, a royal upstart out to usurp the throne. Additionally, the clergy are holed up in the cathedral, unwilling to engage anyone, but they don’t have to fight because merchants and their mercenaries are facing the tax collectors for them.
This is a situation with multiple actors, not all of them obvious, and their motivations aren’t what you’d immediately assume. The bulk of the story is Col and Myuri getting to the heart of the conflict and discovering more layers than they imagined. While the complexity makes it interesting, it’s not a light read. Having to keep track of how everyone is connected and why was a real mental workout.
While the original Spice and Wolf arc was sparing with its nonhuman characters, Col and Myuri seem to encounter a new nonhuman with each leg of their journey, and here it’s Sharon, the head of the Tax Collector Association. Heir Hyland, whom we haven’t seen since the early part of Volume 2, returns to the story, and we get a real blast from the past with the crafty merchant Eve arriving in Rausbourne. It’s because of the unique connections Col and Myuri have with these individuals that Col’s able to get a grasp on the situation, but watching the different personalities interact is pretty fun, too. Col may be a mild-mannered guy, but he attracts strong females. Despite his intentions of celibacy, one scene in particular with Myuri, Eve, and Hyland seems awfully like a harem situation.
Hasekura-sensei does a good job interweaving Winfiel politics, economic opportunity, and a defensive religious organization into the plot. There is an aspect I found troubling though. Along with the Church’s financial corruption, this volume adds the sin of sexual impurity. Basically, most priests had affairs, so much so these illicit relationships were an open secret. To make it worse, when they abandoned their lovers and children to rise in the church ranks, the Church deliberately and knowingly altered records to erase any inconvenient relationships.
Despite his desire to reform the Church, when Col meets one such priest, his response is less indignation and more along the lines of, “Well, he had his reasons.” Weirder is that another pastor, who himself is one of these illegitimate children, is in love with a woman, and the solution is to settle the pair together in a monastery dedicated to raising orphans rather than having the pastor find work that doesn’t require celibacy. Given that no one seems capable of following the celibacy rule, it seems odd Col never questions its necessity. At any rate, if the Church gets any more rotten than this, Myuri may be right that it’s better to destroy and build something new rather than to clean house.
Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, world map, eight black-and-while illustrations, and afterword.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2019
Slower paced, but still pretty good. Need some major character developments in the next volume, however
September 13, 2021
I love Eve Bolan, the embodiment of a wolf in humanities clothing. Was so fun to see them meeting old "friends" and meeting new nonhumans
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2021
THEY JUST KEEP ADDING MORE AND MORE CLOSURE TO THE DEITY WORLD. I AM CREAMING MYSELF JUST THEORIZING
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews