Light novels are becoming more and more popular internationally, especially as the number of anime based on them increases. Established publishers have responded by frequently announcing new English releases of these titles, and smaller publishers have appeared to try to grab their own segment of the market. With this rise in popularity comes several frequent questions. What are light novels? Where do I start reading light novels? What are the best light novels for beginners?
This article aims to point those new to light novels in the right direction.
Want to look for merch for these or Japanese physical copies for your collection? Using ZenMarket, who has kindly sponsored this article, is a convenient way to do this. They’re an import service that focuses on helping to order items from Japan, consolidating packages to keep the delivery costs down, and sending items worldwide. We’ve given an overview of our experience with their service and how to use it in a previous article.
What Are Light Novels?
A good starting point would be to define what a light novel is. However, this is easier said than done.
Essentially, a light novel is generally considered to be a novel originally published in Japanese that the publisher or author has described as a light novel, which is rather vague. There is a rather wide range of what falls into this category, where you can find both the most casual slice of life story and incredibly dense historical fiction. The term is typically intended for novels of Japanese origin, but similar styles of books and online fiction from other countries also exist and sometimes use the term, though some disagree that they should be described as light novels.
Many light novels originated as web novels published on websites such as Shōsetsuka ni Narō, and are later edited into a more abridged form for novelization (often with changes and new content) after agreements with publishers. The released light novels typically include anime-style illustrations of key moments.
While it’s not always the case, the vast majority of light novels are considered to be young adult fiction and are easy to read. Although they tend to be a couple hundred pages per volume, there’s no hard page count limit and some can be quite lengthy. They often include themes and situations commonly found in anime series. Many are also rather derivative, repeating situations from other well-known light novels with a slight spin. One of the most popular types of light novel where this happens is isekai, where someone reincarnates or otherwise travels to another world, typically a fantasy one. While the situation is frequently used, there are some very good isekai light novels and many do add unique ideas or are written well.
Where Do I Start Reading Light Novels?
When asked this question, I typically suggest that new readers begin with a light novel based on an anime series they enjoy. Not all of them will have an English version available, but it’s often possible to find something that fits.
The idea behind starting with something you already enjoy is getting used to the format with a lower entry barrier due to already knowing the setting and characters. You will also already have an image of the characters, their voices, and how they act, which may help those who aren’t frequent readers of fiction in general. As well, quite often the light novels will include additional details which were never included in the anime and often continue beyond the story shown in the anime adaptation, providing fans of the series with something extra to enjoy.
You may instead wish to start by looking up certain genres you enjoy. Fantasy adventures (often but not always isekai) and romantic comedies are fairly common, but you can also find horror, revenge stories, yuri titles, and more. To explore these, you can browse publisher websites such as J-Novel Club or look at resources maintained by fans such as RanobeDB.
Suggested Light Novels for Beginners
Still not sure where to start? Here are a few popular light novels worth checking out.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime follows an average 37-year-old man who dies and wakes up in a fantasy world having reincarnated as a slime. Events lead him to found a village of monsters. It has plenty of battles, politics, and kingdom-building elements. This is one of the more popular isekai titles.
Find it on Yen Press and Take a Look at Available Merch
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten is a rather sugary romantic comedy where an awkward high school boy helps his next-door neighbor one day. This sparks an unlikely romance between the two, which slowly grows. While mostly sweet, it does explore more serious issues such as family problems.
Find it on Yen Press and Take a Look at Available Merch
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?)
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt is a comical look at how the prince of a small country repeatedly wildly succeeds or comically fails while still solving the problems the country faces, despite his intentions to just avoid a military coup long enough to sell off the country. Whether his luck is good or bad is debatable, but everyone around him believes he’s a genius and intends everything to go the way it does.
Find it on Yen Press and Take a Look at Available Merch
Sasaki and Peeps
Sasaki and Peeps is a fantasy comedy, where Sasaki adopts Peeps, a small bird who turns out to be the reincarnated Star Sage from another world. Granted magic by Peeps, Sasaki finds himself in the midst of battles with psychics, getting involved in wars, doing business in another world, and trying to hide his magical powers. It’s an ever-escalating series of unusual situations.
Find it on Yen Press and Take a Look at Available Merch
Thanks again go to ZenMarket for sponsoring this article. If you’d like to import any goods from Japan, please consider checking out their service and don’t forget to use code NOOKGAMING when signing up for 800 Yen worth of ZenPoints toward delivery.
If you are looking for more posts about light novels or just wondering where the cover image for this article came from, you may enjoy our review of From Toxic Classmate to Girlfriend Goals.
A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.
