kennystucko97's review
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
djinnia's review
5.0
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.
kmccaleb's review against another edition
4.0
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.
elderkinhv's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
fangirlsbookshelves's review against another edition
4.0
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.
caribbeanprncss's review against another edition
5.0
This volume goes into the Alfheim Online arc and is basically the same as the anime. Easy and fun read.
rekastormborn's review
5.0
As with the previous two books, I watched the anime first but still wholeheartedly recommend the book even for those who already know the story. If you liked the first two books, I expect you'll like this latest installment. If you like the idea of virtual worlds, true humanity coming through an RPG, and your fantasy and sci-fi mixed together, you'll like this series. Kirito continues to evolve on the page as we learn more about him and the new characters are just as well done as the ones we've met before. If you finished the first two books wanting to know what happened next, this is the answer (or at least the next installment) in a story that shares some of the same themes. I'm very much looking forward to reading book four (which I will be starting moments after finishing this one if that tells you anything).
absentminded_reader's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little nervous about this book before starting it. The TV series was a bit soft hentai, and it featured an incestuous sub plot where Suguha pined for her cousin while developing a crush on “Kirito” (both the same man) inside the video game. That’s a bit of a spoiler, but after so many years, probably not.
This is not as strong a book as the first two. Having read the author’s comments, I can see where he struggled to find a new direction for the series. There was more emphasis on the gaming world mechanics in this story arc than in the Aincrad story arc. Parts could be very dull. Reki Kawahara’s real life gamer influence roared strongly. This was something I didn’t feel happened in the first two books despite copious world building. Asuna had been turned into a damsel in distress. Extremely disappointing because I loved her character. She was so strong and feminine—an influential force in Kirito’s life—now just a girl stuck in a cage. I’ve played 8-bit video games with more depth of motivation.
The brother/sister fixation in Japanese media is something that puzzles me. I didn’t have any sisters, but I don’t see how incest gets sexy. It’s a trope that continues to live on. Fortunately, there was just a lot of pining and angst, and no uncomfortable scenes. Although the game mechanics aspect of the story could be overpowering, the world building was solid, the characters were interesting, and even though Kirito was vastly OP, it was still a fun read.
I read the Baka-Tsuki fan translation. This one had tons of mistakes, so I definitely plan on buying the big collection and rereading the professional Yen version at the beginning of 2021.
This is not as strong a book as the first two. Having read the author’s comments, I can see where he struggled to find a new direction for the series. There was more emphasis on the gaming world mechanics in this story arc than in the Aincrad story arc. Parts could be very dull. Reki Kawahara’s real life gamer influence roared strongly. This was something I didn’t feel happened in the first two books despite copious world building. Asuna had been turned into a damsel in distress. Extremely disappointing because I loved her character. She was so strong and feminine—an influential force in Kirito’s life—now just a girl stuck in a cage. I’ve played 8-bit video games with more depth of motivation.
The brother/sister fixation in Japanese media is something that puzzles me. I didn’t have any sisters, but I don’t see how incest gets sexy. It’s a trope that continues to live on. Fortunately, there was just a lot of pining and angst, and no uncomfortable scenes. Although the game mechanics aspect of the story could be overpowering, the world building was solid, the characters were interesting, and even though Kirito was vastly OP, it was still a fun read.
I read the Baka-Tsuki fan translation. This one had tons of mistakes, so I definitely plan on buying the big collection and rereading the professional Yen version at the beginning of 2021.