wells140's review against another edition
5.0
Again, well written and well translated. This book is part 2 of the last book, I read them together. A big fan of the anime, it's always great to hear more personal thoughts from all the characters (I love them even more). It was nice to have a lengthy chapter about Kirito and Leafa's adventure that was only mentioned in passing in the anime as well.
pixi_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Towards the end had some things explained that weren't really covered in the anime. It was nice to finally understand more of what happened to Kaiaba.
elderkinhv's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
fangirlsbookshelves's review against another edition
4.0
To be completely honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I enjoyed the story because I love the world and the characters, but there are many issues as well, the main being Asuna's character being reduced to a damsel in distress. And honestly it's really irritating how every girl in these books immediately falls in love with Kirito. Like, I get it, he's a great character but come on.
caribbeanprncss's review against another edition
5.0
The last part of ALO arc, another which the anime follows faithfully.
rekastormborn's review against another edition
5.0
I love this series. This was an amazing wrap up to the story line so far that reaches all the way back into books one and two as well as book three. I loved the anime, and I loved this book even more. This was the one with the most extra in the book compared to what I remember from the anime (though it has been a few years since I watched it, so take that with a grain of salt).
Kirito is still him, but also vulnerable and courageous in new ways too. Suguha's arc is also wonderful in this book. It was a very satisfying wrap up to the story thus far, but doesn't make me any less eager to start on book 5.
Kirito is still him, but also vulnerable and courageous in new ways too. Suguha's arc is also wonderful in this book. It was a very satisfying wrap up to the story thus far, but doesn't make me any less eager to start on book 5.
absentminded_reader's review against another edition
4.0
After finishing this book, I feel confident in reading the rest of this series. This was my least favorite storyline in the anime because it was so creepy. Not only was there a subplot featuring a struggle with incestuous feelings, but the soft hentai scenes were distasteful. I also thought that Asuna was reduced to a damsel in distress, which was a crying shame since she was my favorite character in the first series due to her phenomenal strength, courage, and heroism.
However, the book was in many ways a different experience than the anime. With two books crunched down to fourteen-ish 24-minute episodes, there was a lot left out.
I don’t feel like I can do this book justice, however. The fan translation was rough. I simply did not enjoy it, so I plunked down the money and bought the platinum edition box set. I’m going to re-read the entire series from the beginning with a professional translation.
I can say this for now. The incestuous plot line was handled with far more nuance and delicacy in the book than the anime. It was nowhere near as creepy, it felt properly resolved, and addressed interesting online issues of falling in love with an avatar without knowing who the other person truly is. The same goes for the abuse scenes. Although I didn’t like Asuna as a victim, she was far more courageous and fierce in the book then she was in the anime. The abuse scenes featuring her were moments of inappropriate touching in the book, but they were downright rapey in the anime. Reki relies on sexual exploitation to define villains—something regarded these days as a bad trope. Since he doesn’t do the same to his male characters, I do question it as a cheap ploy for character development.
I will withhold reviewing further until I read a proper translation. Overall, the book was good and resolved well. Seek out the Yen press edition.
However, the book was in many ways a different experience than the anime. With two books crunched down to fourteen-ish 24-minute episodes, there was a lot left out.
I don’t feel like I can do this book justice, however. The fan translation was rough. I simply did not enjoy it, so I plunked down the money and bought the platinum edition box set. I’m going to re-read the entire series from the beginning with a professional translation.
I can say this for now. The incestuous plot line was handled with far more nuance and delicacy in the book than the anime. It was nowhere near as creepy, it felt properly resolved, and addressed interesting online issues of falling in love with an avatar without knowing who the other person truly is. The same goes for the abuse scenes. Although I didn’t like Asuna as a victim, she was far more courageous and fierce in the book then she was in the anime. The abuse scenes featuring her were moments of inappropriate touching in the book, but they were downright rapey in the anime. Reki relies on sexual exploitation to define villains—something regarded these days as a bad trope. Since he doesn’t do the same to his male characters, I do question it as a cheap ploy for character development.
I will withhold reviewing further until I read a proper translation. Overall, the book was good and resolved well. Seek out the Yen press edition.