Manga Review: Spice & Wolf

Spice & Wolf

Written by Isuna Hasekura

Manga version art by Keito Koume     

Published by Yen Press

Buy it at Amazon

Rated M: For mature audiences only

This series is based upon the exploits of a 25 year old peddler by the name of Craft Lawrence. One day he came to the small town of Pasole during their harvest festival to honor the pagan wheat God, Horo, the wise wolf, for the past year's bounty. When he left the town that evening he camped next to a riverbed. When washing his face in the stream he heard a noise coming from his cart. Knife at the ready, he approached the cart and removed the tarp. To his surprise, lying there in a bundle of furs he was planning to sell in the next town over was a beautiful 15 year old girl. Fearing she might be a runaway or a prostitute, he woke her and asked of her business with him. When she rose out of the furs her form became fully visible to him in the moonlight. A young woman with wolf ears and a tail. After a quick howl at the moon, she asked him for some alcohol and explained her situation. She was Horo, the wise wolf, the pagan harvest God of Pasole. After many years of serving the people of that town she had grown tired of her obligation. She desired to return to her home of Yoitsu in the frozen north, as well as to see how the world had changed over the many years of her captivity. So, she convinced Lawrence to allow her to travel with him in exchange for her knowledge and ability to increase his profits. After much deliberation Lawrence accepted the deal. Over the period of this series they run into multiple issues such as the church, corrupted trading companies, and good hearted shepherds. Will they strike it rich or go bankrupt?

This is a very funny series with a lot of quick-witted humor, but it may go over certain readers' heads. It also has a lot of serious satire which helps draw the reader in and tie characters together. However, the bulk of this series is devoted to showing the reader the art of trading, money, and basic economy in a manner that doesn't fail to catch their attention. The plot of the book is also split between the two main characters, so readers are bound to fall in love with one or the other if not both. Lawrence is cool, easy going, and is an experienced trader with a good grasp on statistics. He also has no sense of humor. Horo, however, being his polar opposite, is cunning; sly; has a fine eye for detail; and is a natural in the trading business, but also tends to be hot-headed and prideful. But, she always manages to pull through and hold the story together in the end. When it comes down to it, this series is meant purely for a mature audience that can fully grasp it's concepts. I highly recommend this series to fans of such works as The Hunger Games Trilogy, Bamboo Blade, and manga romance series.

Note: There is also a manga series based on the light novels. Unless you naturally prefer manga to basic writing works, I would highly suggest starting with the novels.

Volumes 1-3 of the light novels and manga are already in stores.

Look for volume 4 of the manga - coming in may 2011 and volume 4 of the novel - coming in June 2011