Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance

Sword Art Online #3

by Reki Kawahara, Ayu Gunarya (Translator)

Kirito yang telah terbebas dari gim “Sword Art Online” akhirnya kembali ke dunia nyata. Namun, berbeda dengannya, Asuna, rekan bertarung sekaligus orang yang dia cintai, masih belum membuka matanya dari mimpi buruk tersebut.
Satu-satunya petunjuk hanyalah sebuah gambar misterius yang menampilkan Asuna sebagai “peri” yang terkurung di dalam sangkar-kemudian gadis itu terperangkap dalam “ALfheim Online,”gama VRMMO berspesifikasi tinggi.
Untuk menyelamatkan Asuna, Kirito pun masuk ke dalam dunia itu…!

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Manga, Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Japanese Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2009

About the author

Kawahara Reki (川原礫) is the writer of Sword Art Online and Accel World. He also uses the pen name Kunori Fumio. His hobby is cycling.

Reviews

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so in love with Sword Art Online that I can't wait to read the 4th book but before to reading it I have to read DRRR!! #2 and DanMachi #4.
Absolutely 5✰ for SAO.

[Matisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Internet, you told me the Fairy Dance arc (books 3 & 4) of SAO was terrible. I was clearly lied to. Kawahara wrote this volume after writing three books in his 'Accel World' series, which is the more grounded, human series. That growth has bled into SAO, and it's for the better.

This was the best novel so far, for many reasons. The Aincrad novels (books 1 & 2) didn't develop Kirito as a protagonist, and while there were a few places where Kawahara stretches his author chops, he was mostly just writing straightforward story. Here, Kirito is given a real challenge that tests him outside of his comfort zone and forces him to grow, both in and out of the virtual reality. Kawahara spends most of the novel writing from Suguha/Leafa's perspective, and when he jams back to Kirito, it's in the first-person tense from the first novel. The result is a well-written universe as seen through Suguha's perspective, and an intimate first-person voice that is not split between characters.

In the actual prose-side of things, the narrative is tighter than in the previous volumes. Fights are more kinetic, and there's less techno-babble for how the game engine works. We meet Suguha/Leafa before she meets Kirito, and so unlike with Asuna from book 1, we don't have to be caught up in any pre-existing romantic tension. The climax is weak, but unlike the Aincrad arc, this volume isn't the entire story. I reserve judgment for this segment of the SAO story for once I've finished the next volume.

But for the moment, I am quite pleased with it. =)

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the way Kirito plays the game even though he has more at stake, rescuing Asuna, then any other player in the game.

He says at one point in the novel, that how a person acts in an MMO effects how that person acts IRL.
I think the same can be said for the types of media we consume.

[Derrick Hardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't as good as the first, but better than the second, so I gave it four stars. Considering there are only three chapters, it was hard to find a decent stopping place. Also, each of the three chapters were broken up into "micro chapters" that switched the two sides of the story, Kirito and Leafa's side and then Asuna and Oberon's. It was somewhat confusing at times. It was a pretty good book, but the anime was a little better. Just saying, I liked this part of the anime, unlike everyone else.

[Sabrina "Look At My Books" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was ok although it dragged a lot.

The Anime version was better in my opinion

[Majka · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance” is 3rd volume of Japanese, fantasy light novel series written by Reki Kawahara, Illustrated by Abec (Abeshi, BUNBUN) and published in 2009 by Kadokawa Corporation.
It’s set in 2025 and it tells a story about Kazuto Kirigaya, or more commonly – Kirito, who is a 16-year-old boy trapped in a VR game of life and death: Sword Art Online. After two years of gaining experience points and passing the next floors of Aincrad – Castle, which holds all the players, he has to deal with a new game: ALfheim Online, which holds his partner and girlfriend – Asuna.
Although Kirito is pretty overpowered and dull character, I think that his story is really good for a few reasons: World created by Reki Kawahara, which has some sort of energy in it, illustrations by abec that are just amazing and show us magic from the world of ALfheim Online, and all the other things that he does in the name of love and happiness.
I would recommend it to anyone, who likes games, fantasy or is an anime fan. It’s also really good for starting your adventure with Japanese pop culture and is pretty classic part of any anime fan’s bookcase.

[Bluehbleh Blah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sequel to the first sword art online. It expanded upon the romance that I enjoyed in the first volume and introduced more action and adventure in the universe I so enjoyed. The world is not as good as Aincrad in my opinion but still good all the same. I recommend this book to anyone who read the first sword art online and I know you will enjoy it. I feel the anime did not portray just how good this novel was so even if you are discouraged from the anime still watch it, it gets even better after this.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've watched the anime and I've found that the books are the essence that made the anime so fantastic. Sugu's struggle does turn me off a bit, but the rest of the story is amazing. What happens to Mr. jerkface makes me happy. And since the anime was soooo vivid, it was even better I my head. It couldn't have happened to a nicer a-hole.

[Stephany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ganz ehrlich? Ich hatte mich auf den Band gefreut, weil Band 2 ja nur aus Kurzgeschichten bestand (die ich nicht schlecht fand, sie haben Hintergrundinformationen gegeben). Aber in Band 3 taucht Kiritos Schwester auf und.... Sie geht mir auf die Nerven. Und obwohl Kirito unser Protagonist ist, werden gefühlt 70% des Buches aus ihrer Sicht erzählt und nicht aus seiner. Und das macht sie bei mir nicht unbedingt beliebter.

Aber die Handlung bleibt natürlich top!

[Eyla · Rating 2 out of 5]

RTC

[Moonlight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este me costo, la verdad

[Stephanie Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this installment as well! Kawahara's writing saw a definite improvement here. Of course, I already knew what was going to happen thanks to the show, but I loved diving deeper into the characters here.

[LJF · Rating 5 out of 5]

KAZUTO KIRIGAYA (aka "Kirito") has finally woken from the death game SAO. He's gone home, and started to get used to his old life. But one cloud of darkness blots what should make him happy- his beloved (as well as 300 other gamers around the country,) has not yet woken up. When he hears a rumor that she was spotted in ALfeim Online, one of the most popular VRMMOs around, Kirito must once again dive into the virtual world. But he isn't alone- it will take a full cast of chatacters to see this story to its end.

SUGUHA KIRIGAYA is Kazuto's beloved younger sister- sort of. Smart, good at kendo and extremely kindhearted, she would do anything to help him- but, at the same time, she's keeping a secret (or two) from him.
AGIL (real name Andrew Gilbert Mills) is the merchant from Aincrad, but in the real world, he runs a small cafe and bar. He's the one who tells Kazuto about the ALO sighting- after all, Agil, another SAO survivor, also worries about the fate of those who didn't wake up.
ASUNA YUUKI sits in a cage. All day, every day. Sh stares at the bars, because it's better than the other option- staring at "Oberon" the one who trapped her in this cage. She longs to be saved, but maybe, just maybe, she can figure out how to save herself.
SOGOU is a pleasant young man who works for Asuna's father- yeah right. Actually, Sugou is a bratty, selfish jerk- and Kazuto can't stand him. Sugou has a plan, and Kazuto must find a way to stop it.
YUI is Kirito's "daughter", the sweet and kindhearted AI he rescued in Aincrad. In ALO, she has a slightl different form, but she's more or less the same- and just as eager as Kirito to rescue her "mama".
LEAFA plays as a sylph-type fairy in the world of ALO. When a spriggan-type player named "Kirito" crashes into her- and then saves her, she decides to help him with his quest- no matter how ridiculous-sounding that quest seems. But who is the real "Leafa"?
RECON is another sylph, and Leafa's IRL classmate. He's kind of worried when Leafa goes off on her own with this "Kirito" guy, but he has bigger problems- someone is planning on betraying the sylphs. The question is, how- and why?

Secrets, mystery and rumor abound in this next chapter of Sword Art Online- will Kazuto be able to unravel them?

[Callum Forsyth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of what I regard (so far) as the worst arc of the series, the first volume of Fairy Dance is exactly what one might expect of a sequel: unless it's Shrek 2 or Empire, it usually sucks.

Kirito's grand adventure continues in the first volume of Fairy Dance. He's escaped SAO and awoken in a world he hasn't been part of for two years. He's plagued by the looming fate of his still-comatose virtual wife; essentially she's being married off to a creep who works for her father, who also just so happens to be running a division of virtual world gaming. He then discovers that someone who looks like his wife (Asuna) has been photographed in another VRMMORPG called Alfheim Online (you can probably see where this is going.)

Quite frankly? I hate this arc. This is one of my most hated narrative arcs in anything I've ever read. I don't particularly know where to begin on what I hate the most. The prevalent raging thirst for this sixteen year old boy? Just how ridiculously overpowered and Mary Sue-esque he is? The incestuous love that his sister harbours for him? (For those of you who've read ahead, yes. I'm more than aware of the "plot twist".)

You may be wondering why I rated this two stars instead of one. I rate it as such because the idea of a VR world is just so damn appealing. In an age where MMORPGs are all rather samey and there's a lack of real innovation across the board, the idea of a VRMMORPG is just plain delightful. I echo what I said in my review of the second volume of Aincrad: I love the idea of Sword Art Online, and I love what the story could be. In this book, however? I just hate what it is.

[Tuna · Rating 5 out of 5]

After testing the waters with writing from the perspective of other characters, Kawahara appears to have decided to make that his focus from here on out. Seeing the story from the perspective of Asuna trapped in a cage, or the sister who’s watched firsthand her brother lying in a comatose state for two years, was compelling. I think Kirito perspective is the strongest, the sister, Leafa/Suguha, is second strongest and Asuna is the weakest, though I also just think Asuna isn’t that interesting of a character and everyone else provides something deeper and rounder, like they feel real while she just feels like the helpless love interest.

In any case, Asuna is indeed trapped in this volume and just a plaything for the antagonist, while Leafa takes the stage as the strong female character, even at times better than Kirito. Kirito, meanwhile, is doing all that he can to find her, and Leafa is the one guiding Kirito in this new game. Yui has a role her providing some moments of comedy to the Kirito Leafa dynamic and some explanation of the new games mechanics.

Overall, I love this new arc, this new game, and the mini-story in the games world. Adding magic to the sword art online universe was a great addition and seeing Kirito as an agile illusionist whose epic at swords is cool.

Great volume.

[Ryan Kasyfil · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a light novel, it was amazing! I could imagine the battle between Kirito and Captain Eugeune. The battle was more amazing than Heatcliff's in the first book. And the story is not too simple so the writer couldn't finished it just in one volume. It was different with the first and second book when the the first book told us the main event of the store while the second book just told us the side event.
The writer used three perspective in this book. Firs, we read at Lyfa's (which is also Suugu). Second, we read at Kirito's (Kazuto). Least and the last, the writer used third person's perspective while he write "he" and "her" instead of Kirito and Lyfa. writer's writing style made this book more interisting and more worthed to read than the second book, and for me, it was better than the first book.
Even though I have watched the anime version of this book, I still found this book interesting to read.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book happens after SAO was defeated and Kirito/Kazuto wakes up...but Asuna does not. His search to wake her up has him going back into the virtual world in a game called Alfheim Online. He starts a new journey to find Asuna, teaming up with a character named Leafa. But Leafa is actually someone he knows.

SAO continues to be one of my favorite Japanese light novel stories. If you've seen the anime, the two are almost identical. Yet in this light novel you feel a little more depth to the story being told mostly through Leafa/Suguha's eyes. Kirito is still overpowered in the virtual world and knows it, which is fun when it comes to the battles in the book. There is some lovey-agnst from one of the characters which I didn't care for much, but it does make for some interesting relationship dynamics.

SAO is definitely a series where the light novel trumps the manga. Looking forward to reading more!

[Payton Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession to make. I really like reading SAO. I know that their’s a stigma attached to it, but there’s something of a guilty pleasure when I’m reading. It’s just so fun and easy when many other books aren’t. Anyways, this entry kicks off a brand new story arc, the Fairy Dance arc, taking place right 2-months after the end of Aincrad. There’s lots of cool stuff and new plots happening all throughout this story. We get to see Kazuto’s sister Suguha and her feelings, a conspiracy subplot, a rescue. It’s all pretty darn good in my opinion. Like I said, I have a very soft spot for SAO so I’m looking at it through rose-tinted glasses. At any rate, I give it a 7/10 (leaving it at 4/5 stars).

[Kelci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the anime and after ordering the manga for our middle school library, decided to look into the light novels! The manga tends to show a little much so we’ve decided to pass it to our high school, but the light novels overall seem to be acceptable so far. What you see in the anime is equal to the books as far as action, language, & sexual content (mainly King Oberon/Suguo leering at Asuna so much). My students often ask about having SAO so I can’t wait to put the first 4 light novels on the shelves.

[Ambivert Sister · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Di gim VRMMO ini, kau tidak bisa memainkan karakter yang benar-benar berbeda dengan dirimu. Kalau di dunia ini kau menyerahkan dirimu pada hawa nafsumu, pasti dampaknya juga akan kembali pada dirimu di dunia nyata. Pemain dan karakter adalah satu."

Judul: Sword Art Online 3 (Fairy Dance)
Panduan Usia: 17+
Genre: Fantasi & Romansa
Penulis: Reki Kawahara (abec)
Penerbit: Penerbit Clover
Tebal: 317 halaman
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

***

Kirito yang telah terbebas dari gim "Sword Art Online" akhirnya kembali ke dunia nyata. Namun, berbeda dengannya, Asuna, rekan bertarung sekaligus orang yang dia cintai, masih belum membuka matanya dari mimpi buruk tersebut.

Satu-satunya petunjuk hanyalah sebuah gambar misterius yang menampilkan Asuna sebagai "peri" yang terkurung di dalam sangkar -- kemungkinan gadis itu terperangkap dalam "ALfheim Online," game VRMMO berspesifikasi tinggi.

Untuk menyelamatkan Asuna, Kirito pun masuk ke dalam dunia itu...!!

***

Sesuai kalimat Kirito yang kukutip, memang bermain game online itu secara tidak langsung juga merupakan perwujudan dari secuil atau keseluruhan bagian diri kita. Jadi, apa pun yang dilakukan di dalam dunia virtual (game) maupun di dunia nyata akan tercermin pada keduanya. Hal ini dibuktikan dengan perubahan karakter Kirito jika dibandingkan dengan dirinya di masa sebelum terjebak di dalam SAO selama dua tahun. 'Kirito' yang pendiam dan sibuk dengan dunianya sendiri sekarang sudah tidak ada, digantikan oleh 'Kirito' yang lebih ramah dan mementingkan orang lain lebih dari dirinya sendiri. Adik sepupunya, Suguha, yang menjadi saksi hidup perubahan karakter Kirito yang positif ini.

Di sisi lain, aku merasa bahwa kepribadian Kirito ini cukup unik. Aku baru sadar ketika membaca volume ini. Di volume pertama, Kirito kesannya lebih pendiam. Tetapi, karakternya berubah menjadi playful di volume kedua dan ketiga (volume ini). Tidak heran jika para tokoh sampingan perempuan pun jatuh hati padanya. Dasar... Sepertinya memang karena penulisnya laki-laki, ia ingin mewujudkan dunia harem bagi si tokoh utama laki-laki. Aku jadi was-was. Meskipun Kirito mengemban tugas besar dalam volume ini untuk menyelamatkan pacarnya Asuna, aku tetap saja tidak nyaman melihat interaksinya dengan rekan-rekan perempuan yang ia temui sepanjang perjalanan untuk menyelamatkan Asuna di game ALfheim Online (ALO) tersebut. Well, setidaknya perasaan kesalku diwakilkan oleh Yui yang berkali-kali mengingatkan Kirito supaya tidak berselingkuh. Hahaha...

Omong-omong, keren sekali Kirito ini. Ia berhasil melawan rasa traumanya setelah terjebak di dalam SAO selama dua tahun. Ia didorong dengan keinginannya yang kuat untuk bertemu Asuna, yang ternyata dijebak di game ALO.

Perjalanan yang ia tempuh untuk menyelamatkan Asuna cukup seru diceritakan di dalam volume ini. Ada sedikit kejutan ketika kamu sampai di tengah-tengah volume. Aku tidak mau membocorkannya, jadi pastikan untuk baca sendiri, ya!

Selain itu, sudut pandang yang digunakan di dalam volume ini ada dua. Satu adalah 'aku' yang digunakan ketika penulis menceritakan sudut pandang Kirito dan dua adalah sudut pandang orang ketiga yang menceritakan soal Suguha dan Asuna beserta perasaan-perasaannya.

Walaupun masalah yang dimunculkan di dalam volume ini cukup awkward buatku karena tidak umum, aku bisa bersimpati pada Suguha yang mengalami gejolak perasaan begitu kakak sepupunya sadar dari 'tidur' berkepanjangan. Tentu saja itu tidak mudah baginya. Semoga ia tidak tersakiti lebih jauh lagi di cerita selanjutnya... Aku benar-benar khawatir padanya.

Aku sangat khawatir pada Asuna. Kelakuan orang yang mengurungnya sungguh biadab! Aku sangat membencinya! Jika aku saja semarah ini, aku tidak bisa membayangkan apa yang Kirito dan Asuna rasakan. Terutama Asuna, karena hidupnya terancam oleh salah satu tangan kanan Ayahnya. Semoga Kirito bisa menyelamatkannya tepat waktu.

Menurutku, penulis juga mampu menjelaskan teknis game ALO yang cukup rumit dengan bahasa yang sederhana. Aku hampir-hampir bisa membayangkannya dan berada di sana sendiri. Pengetahuan dan imajinasinya soal teknologi benar-benar patut diacungi jempol. Risetnya cukup mendalam. Tapi, mungkin bagiku terlalu banyak penjelasan teknis gamenya di volume ini yang membuatku sempat sedikit bosan.

Kalau ditanya tokoh favoritku, kurasa aku akan memilih Suguha. Ia adalah tipe cewek yang tidak menye-menye, juga fokus pada tujuannya. Tidak hanya cantik, ia juga memenangi kejuaraan kendo sehingga sudah pasti ia tidak lemah. Selain itu, ia juga baik hati karena mau berteman dan bermain bersama dengan Nagata, salah satu maniak game di kelasnya. Benar-benar perempuan idaman!

Momen favorit adalah saat Kirito dengan rajin membesuk Asuna yang masih tidak sadarkan diri di rumah sakit yang cukup jauh dari tempat tinggalnya. Kesungguhannya dalam mencari informasi untuk menyelamatkan Asuna dan kecengengannya ketika merindukan kekasihnya itu membuatku tersentuh. Kirito benar-benar adalah lelaki yang baik dan bertanggung jawab. Hanya saja, kuharap authornya tidak membuat tokoh perempuan tambahan lagi yang bisa saja menggoda Kirito.

Volume ini terdiri dari kisah Kirito yang mencari informasi tentang Asuna, misinya menyelamatkan Asuna di game online bernama ALO, dan perjalanannya dalam menaklukkan game itu untuk bertemu Asuna. Tantangan yang harus Kirito lewati tidak mudah. Belum lagi ada beberapa masalah sampingan yang terjadi, membuat Kirito harus turun tangan secara langsung. Bagaimana pun juga, ia terlalu baik hati untuk mengabaikan kesulitan orang lain. Berhubung yang ia bantu adalah dua orang ketua klan di game itu, sepertinya kebaikan hatinya akan terbayar di volume berikutnya. Semoga saja!

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to know why the internet hates so much the Fairy Dance arc, especially if they haven't even read novellas. Like, this is so well written, especially compared to the Aincrad arc. I found Suguha's internal struggle quite interesting and I can't wait to see how it's resolved. I mean I watched the anime, I know what happens, but I think novellas give a lot better insight into character's emotions and train of thoughts.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep liking these books so much. Although, this kinda looks like SAO, I still liked the story, I like crazy people and both Suguha and Sugou have serious issues. XD
Kirito is still the hero, and of course the best of everything, but I did expect that. And the evil plot Sugou has in mind... oh dear, that's really evil. I want more!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! I get a bit annoyed with how every girl falls for Kirito, but other than that I really like it. I love the concept, which you don't see too often.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the plot thickens... Why does Kirito attract so many girls... including me?

[Edu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this arc, it's human and deep and colorful. If you don't like Fairy Dance, is because you don't get it ;)

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

So if we look to the first season on the anime--which, at this point, I reckon most readers will have seen before backtracking to the light novels--it had this odd split. The first half of the series takes place in Sword Art Online. The second half in Alfheim. So this volume covers the first half of the Alfheim arc. In anime form, it's not my favorite part of SAO. It's fine enough, but doesn't have the same energy or charge as the opening arc. This problem doesn't feel quite as marked in light novel form.

And if you've seen the anime, you know what you're getting here: Starting a few months after Kirito awakened from his time in SAO, he's fallen into a routine. It's a routine of waiting. In the aftermath of beating SAO, almost all the surviving SAO players have woken up and, like Kirito, recovering. But a handful hasn't yet woken, including Asuna. So Kirito is in limbo: Back in the real world, yet unable to connect with the woman he loves. So he goes to the hospital, sleeps, casually makes jokes with his sister, and generally drifts through life. All that changes when one of his old SAO friends comes upon a screenshot taken in a new MMORPG where an imprisoned character looks a whole lot like Asuna. Needless to say, Kirito needs to get back into the full dive life.

This section flips between two main characters (with a very occasional third): Kirito (which are written in first person) and his sister (written in third person). Well, we say "sister," but she's actually a cousin, which matters because she has a bit of a crush on Kirito (something apparently less taboo in Japan). Even she knows this is a doomed crush--he has Asuna, after all, and even if they're technically not siblings, they were raised as siblings--so maybe that's why she's taken to playing Alfheim, where she's risen to be a top player in her faction. And unfortunately, it's in Alfheim where she meets Kirito at the start of his quest for Asuna, neither knowing the other is who they are, literally in the same real world house.

So there's a bittersweet sense to this whole volume. Kirito physically advancing his quest is good--we need Asuna saved, damnit!--but his sister becomes a charming character in her own right. We empathize with her situation, and the cruel twist that the in-game guy she's kind of falling for is also her brother. And the advantage of a light novel over the anime adaptation here is we get a lot more of her perspective, allowing it to feel like a major thrust of this arc, rather than some side drama. As satisfying as some of Kirito's battles are, it's this tension between two siblings (er, cousinlings?) playing together without knowing who they are that makes reading this volume so damned addictive.

Anyway, if you weren't so fond of this arc in the anime and were iffy on whether to read on after the SAO arc, I can say--as someone who also wasn't so fond of this arc in the anime--that this is a good read. I can't guarantee anyone else will agree with me, but the strengths of the arc are much more apparent in written form.

[Cat Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inhalt:
Nach zwei Jahren Gefangenschaft in dem tödlichen Deathgame Sword Art Online ist Kirito endlich in die reale Welt zurückgekehrt. Doch im Gegensatz zu ihm ist Asuna nicht aufgewacht und liegt weiterhin im Krankenhaus. Der einzige Anhaltspunkt ist ein unscharfer Screenshot, den ein Spieler im VRMMORPG Alfheim Online gemacht hat, auf dem ein Mädchen zu sehen ist, das Asuna zum Verwechseln ähnlich ist. Kirito fackelt nicht lange und begibt sich ins Land der Elfen.

Fazit:
Mit dem dritten Band „Sword Art Online – Fairy Dance“ schicken uns der Autor Reki Kawahara und der Illustrator abec erneutin die Welt der VRMMORPGS.
Kirito konnte nach seinem Sieg endlich die Welt von Sword Art Online verlassen und ist in sein wahres Leben zurückgekehrt. Endlich lernt man auch seine Familie kennen, allen voran seine Schwester Suguha, die in diesem Band eine sehr große Rolle spielen wird. Waren die beiden vor Kiritos Zeit in SAO eher distanziert, versuchen sie nun, sich einander anzunähern. Während Suguha sich mit ihren Gefühlen auseinandersetzen muss, ist Kirito gedanklich ausschließlich bei seiner Freundin und InGame-Ehefrau Asuna, die seit dem Ende von SAO nicht erwacht ist. Doch dies ist nicht alles – eine Bedrohung in der realen Welt macht Kirito schwer zu schaffen und er schwört sich, Asuna unter allen Umständen zu retten.
„Sword Art Online – Fairy Dance“ entführt uns in die phantastische Welt von Alfheim Online, einem VRMMORPG, das sich in wesentlichen Zügen von Sword Art Online unterscheidet. Während sich SAO ausschließlich dem Schwertkampf widmet, basiet Alfheim Online auf dem Einsatz von Magie. So muss Kirito sich in für ihn unbekanntes Terrain begeben, was für so manch amüsante Szene mit dem sonst so talentierten Spieler führt.
Der dritte Band der SAO-Reihe hat mir wieder richtig gut gefallen. Reki Kawahara ist es gelungen, mit Alfheim Online ein völlig neues VRMMORPG vorzustellen, dass sich derartig von SAO unterscheidet, dass man nicht das Gefühl hat, noch einmal dasselbe zu lesen wie in den ersten beiden Bänden. Auch die zahlreichen Nebencharaktere sind dennoch ausreichend dargestellt, dass man sich ein gutes Bild von ihnen machen und sie getrost ins Herz schließen kann. Außerdem erhält man einen tollen Einblick in Kiritos Beziehung zu seiner Schwester und deren Gefühlsleben erfahren. Was ich besonders hervorheben möchte, ist die Darstellung von Kirito und Yui, die man bereits aus den ersten beiden SAO-Bänden kennt.
Der Anime konnte mich bekanntlich von Anfang an überzeugen und gehört neben Attack on Titan zu meinen absoluten Favoriten. Die Light Novels haben mich nun auch endgültig in ihren Bann geschlagen und ich liebe sie abgöttisch! Reki Kawahara ist ein großartiger Autor, abec ein wundervoller Künstler und ich kann die Reihe wirklich empfehlen! Sie ist einfach toll! ♥

[Khari · Rating 3 out of 5]

About the Mary-Sueness.

Yep. Kirito is such a character trope. At least in this particular book it has an explanation. He's so fast because for some reason his character data has transferred to ALO from SAO, so two years of life-and-death experience and pure level grinding would transfer over pretty heavily. He's still a Mary Sue. And I still love him. :D

I like how he's changing. In the first book he was so painfully shy and had no confidence in himself and constantly blamed himself. Now he fixes his eyes on a goal and just keeps heading towards it. He did something that he regretted in the first book when he left his friend Klein behind, and now he refuses to leave anyone else behind. I like to see that kind of growth.

Also, the voice actor in the anime has an amazing voice and I swear when I'm reading I hear his voice sometimes, which is odd, because I don't normally 'hear' when I read, but maybe it's more like a background feeling? I don't know. It's very hard to describe what happens in my brain when I read. When I think, I think in words, and I think in conversations. I usually have two avatars having a discussion, one of myself and one of whoever I'm having the discussion with. But when I'm reading, I don't hear it in words...it's like a movie...but not like a movie because it's fast. So, a movie on fast forward? With lots of murmuring in the background? I suppose that's the closest.

Anyway. I am thoroughly enjoying the books. Even though Kirito is larger than life and is constantly and consistently being fallen in love with. They are just fun to read, not great works of literature, there are lots of problems, and I don't particularly care, because they are fun and interesting.

The one thing I thought was good in this book was how Sugou saw an opportunity to further his research and captured 300 people to use as human experiments. I can see that happening. We all hope for the best, and congratulate ourselves on how advanced we are, now we have IRB boards to keep us from experimenting unethically on humans and all that, but I can totally see megalomaniacal researchers obsessed with power and no regard for human life and human freedom ignoring everything and keeping people imprisoned to experiment on them. It's happened before. It's happening now in China. So probably the part that most people found the most difficult to believe wasn't a problem for me.

[Zuzana Hartmanová · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alfheim Online má na rozdíl od SAO jiné herní prvky, takže se Kirito zpočátku setkává s tím, že věci, na které byl zvyklý, nefungují, nebo přinejmenším nefungují zcela. I přes své značné zkušenosti s virtuálními MMORPG hrami se mu proto ne vždy daří tak, jak by si přál. A obzvlášť magie je pro něj ze začátku výzva. Reki Kawahara ale nenechal svého hrdinu tápat dlouho, aby neopakoval dlouhé začátky plné levelování. Kirito se tak celkem rychle stane oním rytířem v černém plášti, na něhož jsou čtenáři zvyklí, a který s ledabylým úsměvem zachrání den.
Odlišné herní principy pomáhají také tomu, že Vílí tanec nepůsobí, jako by autor vykrádal sám sebe, přestože základní premisa je (vzhledem k subžánru LitRPG celkem logicky) víceméně totožná. Díky tomu Vílí tanec vypadá vedle Aincradu dostatečně originálně a čtenáři se nebudou nudit, zároveň však budou mít pocit, že vplouvají v jistém slova smyslu do známých vod – což je z autorského hlediska většinou ideální kombinace.
Nesmí chybět ani nové postavy, ať už v reálném životě, kde se čtenáři seznámí s Kiritovou sestrou, tak v tom herním, kde se kromě postavy Leafy mihnou i další, jejichž osudy se s tím Kiritovým více či méně protnou. Nepřekvapivě je tu především hromada ženských postav, přičemž se všechny na Kirita lepí – autor tento svůj tah vysvětluje v doslovu a je už na každém, zda mu tuto příběhovou berličku odpustí. Já osobně bych si ale ten incestní motiv klidně odpustila.

Kawahara se sice odkazuje na předchozí dění, ale většinou podá rovnou i vysvětlení, aby vše patřičně připomněl. Novinkou oproti Aincradu je také to, že se postavy nepohybují pouze ve virtuálním světě, ale také v tom skutečném, takže řeší problémy na obou frontách. Do příběhu to vnáší trochu jinou dynamiku a nové emoce, stejně jako nový pohled na věc – jak moc virtuální realita ovlivňuje životy běžných lidí. A jak moc ovlivnil pobyt v SAO přeživší hráče… Autor tu nezabíhá do složitých úvah, hlubších psychologických vhledů, ani nerozebírá různá traumata, přesto přiměje čtenáře sem tam k zamyšlení. A tentokrát takové okrajově nakousl téma, nakolik je hraní MMORPG her ještě takzvaný role play a nakolik se i během hraní ukazuje skutečná lidská povaha.

Vílí tanec zůstává ale v jádru především akčním herním vyprávěním, místy trochu zkratkovitým a lehce naivním, ale to už zkrátka k light novelám většinou tak nějak patří.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been crazy about the anime for years and have rewatched over and over at this point, so now I'm reading through. I've found the writing and the translation to be better than I expected, and I love the added details that I've gotten from the light novels. So far in this series, I ended up liking characters better than before and really having more details to consider than the anime could show due to time restraints (and also because of how hard it can be to show thought processes for multiple characters).

As for this particular volume...it was a decent book, but it lacks the depth found in the first two volumes, in my opinion. I do like the explanations of the lore of this new world, but it didn't have any information beyond what the anime already revealed. Rather than thinking that's because this arc was so good in the anime (which I don't think), I actually just think the writing here is a bit weak. Over all, this was basically a good review of parts of the anime, but added nothing. I would recommend it for someone trying to read through the light novels as a whole, but as a standalone book, it's not necessarily all that great.

Part of this, I'll be honest, is because the weirdness of Suguha having a crush on her brother/cousin. I was hoping the light novels would provide at least some way of viewing that situation that the anime wasn't able to shed light on, just so it didn't seem so awkward and inappropriate. We get it; every girl falls at Kirito's feet. It's a little too convenient, but he's a great guy and he's the main character of an anime, so it's to be expected and we can overlook it. But it's just dumb that somehow his growing harem includes his sister/cousin. Surely it's okay if he has ONE entirely platonic relationship with a girl! Anyway, I didn't expect this to not even be present in the light novels since it is in the anime already, but I did hope it would at least provide some depth to Suguha's feelings that made it make more sense. Instead, the explanation is that she wasn't close with him, he got stuck in SAO and she wished she'd bothered to BE close with him, she found out he's not her biological brother, and...somehow that now means that she's in love with him. It just doesn't make any sense. This poor girl needs to get out more.