Lawrence and Holo are on the run, desperate to save both their profits and their lives! With enforcers from a rival company in pursuit, though, Holo may need to resort to extreme measures to safeguard herself and her traveling companion. Can Lawrence cope with the terror-inspiring true form of Holo the Wisewolf?!
This manga adaptation of Isuna Hasekura's acclaimed Spice & Wolf novel series, also available from Yen Press, is an investment that promises the greatest of entertainment returns!
Great tense moments highlighted by cliffhangers after many chapters. Built a strong foundation for the friendship forming between the main characters, Lawrence and Holo (Spice and Wolf);. Here they each are not only helpful to the other in a convenient way as they have the past two volumes, but make a more important choice for the other over their self, in a more harmful, or risky business, way. Really great.
Also sets up a little drama for the next volume at the end of this one, and the bonus chapter of the Japanese setting was cute.
And the adventure continues... Lawrence is such an honorable man. I forsee a lot of trouble in Horo's and Lawrence's future ;) The bonus chapter was cute.
Still on the run for their lives (and their profit!) Lawrence and Holo may very well be facing betrayal from not only the Milone Company, but one of Lawrence's friends from Holo's village as well! It appears that they wish to kill meddlesome Lawrence and turn Holo over to the church so that they can destroy the old ways... But that would mean Holo's death! However, Lawrence's former good friend proposes a deal where if Lawrence himself turns Holo over to them, Lawrence may very well get away with his life *and* a profit!
Oh goodness. This was thus far the most eventful volume of Spice & Wolf. It was thrilling, and I even wondered if Lawrence was going to come close to death. However, I never doubted for a moment that he'd choose profit over Holo! Holo did scare me when she acted like she was going to leave though... I mean, she's always been insecure, right? So it'd be believable that she'd leave after Lawrence had seen her.. like that. But... Hehe... Lawrence loves her...! I'm glad that wasn't what he yelled out to make her stay though. That'd be far too cliched, and she'd never stay for love, even if it was Lawrence. Or well... As who she is now, she wouldn't stay... But oh, man! Her Goddess form is so majestic and cute at the same time. <3 Both her and Lawrence were looking pretty cool in this one, Lawrence did look a bit insane in some parts too though. I really should have read this volume closer to the date I finished volume 2 though. I think it would have been a lot better, since it ended the first arc partway through this one. And is it just me, or is Holo becoming even cuter as of late? Ever since after she transformed. Perhaps it is because she is less of a mystery now, and also, she might be showing her hidden feelings more. However, I am beginning to see a lot of myself in her... I wonder if that is a good or bad thing that I am becoming just like Holo the Wisewolf? Oh! And this new girl, Norah, is also adorable. I'd really like to see more of her. But she seems strange, definitely in the church's eyes, so I wonder if she's actually human or not?
Holy moly. Dieser Zeichenstil hat mich beeindruckt. Nicht nur, dass sowohl die Charaktere als auch deren Kleidung sehr detailliert dargestellt werden. On top gibt es zahlreiche wundervoll gestaltete Hintergründe und Settings. Auch der Erzählstil hat mich zugesagt, denn der Einstieg ist recht ruhig, wodurch man die Charaktere und die Welt kennenlernen kann.
Charaktere Holo ist ein Wolf in Menschengestalt. Sie lebt schon sehr lange und ist nicht nur schlau, sondern ein echtes Schlitzohr. Lawrence ist fahrender Kaufmann, clever und durch und durch ein guter Mensch
Fazit Band 3 beginnt sehr actionreich. Doch die ruhige Stimmung kehrt alsbald ein. Zudem wird ein neues Charakter eingeführt, Norah. Doch über sie erfährt man noch nicht viel. Ansonsten hatten Band drei bisher das beste Mischverhältnis aus Action und den kännischen Aspekten. Dafür war die Screentime zwischen Lawrence und Holo etwas weniger. Was sich jedoch mit Band 2 gut ergänzt. Besonders das miteinander der Charaktere gefällt mir sehr gut, denn es schwingt mittlerweile unheimlich viel Offenheit, Ehrlichkeit und Vertrauen darin mit.
This was a good volume, it was interesting meeting new characters in the second to last chapter. This volume wrapped up the first story arc with the Milone company and the coin trade, and even though we did move on from the city, we did not fully establish the next story arc. The volume was paced well and well drawn and I really quite enjoyed it. It is a fun, quick read that I might just read through all the manga before returning to the light novel series.
More of a 3.5 star rating; I’m glad the pair got away alive and managed to stick together. I got worried something was going to end their little partnership but thankfully nothing did. Now they’re onto the next town(?) where they seem highly into the church. Also, I get an odd uneasy feeling for both Holo and the female sheepherder’s well-being. Hopefully nothing too bad happens in the next volume.
I love the relationship between Holo and Lawrence, I can't wait to see the development of their relationship throughout the books; I especially can't wait to see the development of the plot along with their relationship. With the slow build up I cannot wait to see what this relationship will be like, and how the series will end.
I am really appreciating the world building in this series. Holo and Lawrence continue to have great chemistry together. Holo goes berserk in this one and the underground chase sequence was really fun. We briefly meet a new character that I amsure will come into play in later volumes. The art continues to be a treat as well.
Phenomenal! This series never ceases to impress and amaze me. From action to a budding relationship and intricate currency manipulation, everything you could want is here and done masterfully. This volume in particular was jaw dropping in its conclusion to the first major plot.
Well after the underwhelming first two volumes of Spice and Wolf, this third installment finally starts to deliver what I was looking for when I picked this series up. The draw here has always been that there is a merchant and a wolf god, but up to this point we have really only seen the merchant in action. Here finally we get to see some wolf god as the action from the first story arc plays to the conclusion and the next arc is begun. It’s a nice exciting beginning and then a rather thoughtful and ponderous second half, complete with a rather confusing and orphaned part featuring a young shepherd. That aside, though, the series is delivering when it comes to some mercantile machinations and some action with a bit of romance and intrigue thrown in for good measure. Finally showing its hand is the fantasy elements of the series, and it makes for the most satisfying volume to date.
That said, of course, there are a few problems with the volume and I suppose with the series as a whole. And most importantly in all of that is that it still moves rather slowly, and there is still an awful lot of exposition slathered across some of the pages. We still see the main characters dealing more with the movement of money and goods rather than concentrating on saving their own lives. Not to say there is no action, because the volume opens with the two main characters on the run from their enemies, about to be cornered. They fight and are injured and it looks pretty grim when they are surrounded. But then the book slows down to deal with politics and economics for a few pages and loses a lot of the suspense and tension it had built up. Luckily for it that tension is regained and brought around nicely as Holo finally goes full wolf and beats the crap out of the attackers, in easily the best scene of the series. Violence and action take center stage and I am left wondering a bit why they didn’t do that from the start.
But such things aside, this volume sees the conclusion of the money selling scheme, which ends less than satisfactorily for the main characters, though they do manage to turn a healthy profit. Still, they are left in need of more, and quickly move on with some pepper in hopes of making some more profit. It all works and it is nice to see that first plot resolved, and it also gives more of the feeling that this is a romance where the two main characters are building feelings for each other. So that is nice. And the down time is nice after the wolf ass-kickery, but the story takes a bit of an abrupt turn when it focuses on a young female shepherd. I’m not really sure why, but it seems like she’s in a bad situation and there’s some creepy church guy watching her and I have no idea why she’s there. It’s odd but the focus then shifts again to the main characters as they arrive in a new city looking to make some money off their pepper.
The ending of the volume sets up a conflict rather nicely, as the main characters are negotiating with the church over how much is going to be charged for the pepper. It is rather amusing to me the effort and care that goes into these scenes, as these are like the battle scenes in any more typical martial arts manga. The main characters battle and their opponents try to cheat and then they figure it out and we are left on a cliffhanger as to what is going to happen when the con is revealed and the church is shown as having tried to pull a fast one on the main characters. It’s rather effective for what it is, a merchant manga battle, but it doesn’t exactly drive up the conflict that much as it really doesn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. I suppose now they will further be suspected by the church, which seems to be building towards this series main villain, but I’m not sure how much I can care.
In the end I’m left feeling a little better about this manga than I did after the first two volumes, but not really interested enough to want to rush out and pick up the next volume right away. We had bought these volumes mainly because they were quite cheap when Borders was going out of business, but without the same incentive I fear that it might be quite some time before we pick up the next volume. There are a number of other series that I would rather pick up. So while this showed a marked improvement as far as quality of the series, I can still only give it a 7/10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
After hearing nice things about this manga & getting great deals on the first three volumes, I figured I'd give "spice & wolf" a try.
The idea is solid & I enjoyed the first book, but after that, it's just been a big let down. I do like the interactions between holo & Lawrence. They're cute & sweet & the art is pretty. But other than that, there's not much going for it at this point. This plot line about the silver currency shift & these warring merchant companies is just to confusing. Even the the names are to similar! It was painful, trying to remember which one was the one our heroes were helping & which was the "bad" one. :/
Then it goes off on some random thing with this shepherd... I'm sure it will be explained in a later volume, but I'm just not that interested. It's confusing & confusion equals boredom. If I can't understand what the characters are talking about half the time, why should I care. I
& while it's nice to see a manga that's less focused on action & more on the characters interacting in a more battle of wits sort of way, I feel that a lot of potential is being lost. I mean, we're talking about this ancient "goddess" & how the old ways Are being tossed aside as the church grows more and more powerful. Stuff about heretics & Demons & burning people at the stake is mentioned. I think stuff like that would be a lot more interesting then selling pepper & winning a kings favor with coins. :/ it doesn't have to all be action, but the sort of tension that clashing religious ideas could bring would make for a much better story.
I did like when she finally transformed. Badass! But it sure didn't last long, & him calming her by talking about debts? .... -_- what could have been a super romantic moment is totally butchered.
2 stars & I I'll not be continuing this series. It's ok, but not at all memorable or really entertaining.
I've read somewhere that if you compare the light novels to the manga, the light novels are much better. I have to admit I don't think the focus on commerce would carry me through a prose novel plot. Female reviewers are also bemoaning Horo's nubile nakedness and fanservice.
Maybe it is because I read a lot of fantasy and sf and actually interpret her as a 900 year old mystic wolf of powers - which we actually get to see in this volume - that I find it more empowering because she certainly seems happily able to manipulate men with her looks - sometimes tongu-in-cheek - when she does it to Lawrence, whom she has a soft spot for - certainly after this volume their commitment to each other is much stronger than just the almost casual meet-up they had, going beyond the cleverness and other abilities Horo brings to his dealing.
They have bled for each other and fought for each other now, they have waited for each other to keep up when things got tough. Lawrence has giving up profit for Horo!! Horo has revealed her true self and stuck around afterward!!
So, no, I don't mind the fanservice - yet, anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
in the beginning of the book a shepherd girl Norah was introduce. but other than that it starts up were the last book ended. Holo and Lawrence are being chased in the underground catacombs under the city. but while running away from the thugs Lawrence gets stabbed in the wrist but they continue on. they eventually reach an underground ruins. and they get cornered Lawrence gets offered a deal to give up Holo and live as a rich man or die with her. he choose to try and fight but got stopped by Holo who bite him and turned into her wolf form. she killed four out of the five thugs but Lawrence stopped her before she killed the last one. he then shortly passed out after that. one day later he wakes up.they both want to leave so they start heading out.
Our dear little Goddess, Holo the Wisewolf, certainly is a clever little thing. Kraft had a rough go of things continuing his escape from the rival merchants begun at the end of book 2, but Holo in Her true form, saved the day and saw to his rescue / recovery. Using his profit from the silver scheme, Holo & Kraft continue their journey together, but it seems that not all traders are as honest as Kraft gives them credit as being. Meanwhile, Kraft's description of pickled / preserved fruit just might entice Holo even more than Her drive for fresh apples.
I liked this book as bit more than I did other books in the series because of it's tension between the two main characters Holo and Kraft. Honestly I would recommend to others who enjoy a good story with a bit of tension, but I wouldn't recommend it as the first book in the series as it'd have trouble standing on it's own. If you do decide to read this book you can expect to find yourself getting extremely mad at one character in particular whose name I won't disclose in order to keep this review spoiler free.
So I just listened to the audiobook for this. It's written very well. However, there's a smidge of a problem for me. Having everyone fawn over Holo's human form is.......well, she appears as a 15 year old girl, and they repeat this regularly. It sits very poorly with me. However The overall story mechanics are excellent.
I know I said it before but the art is really good. Anyway, story keeps getting interesting and you wonder what will happen to Holo and Lawrence this time. And that cover. Good volume.