Creative Staff
Story: Isuna Hasekura
Art: Jyuu Ayakura
Translation/Adaptation: Paul Starr
What They Say
The capture of a narwhal and the ensuing power struggle between the northern and southern districts of Kerube has Lawrence caught in the middle! Backed into a corner by his own trade guild, can the merchant find a way to extricate himself from this delicate situation? And what of the wolf bone from Holo’s pack? Can the Wisewolf of Yoitsu manage to keep her rage and frustration in check?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Volume 9 is billed as the second part of a two-part story, but it is actually the culmination of events laid out in Volume 5, 6, and 8. So if you aren’t familiar with those previous three installments, you’ll get lost in Volume 9 fast. Even if you have read them, the content of this volume is rather daunting. Volume 8 laid the groundwork for a massive conflict over a rare narwhal, and in Volume 9, that battle plays out with schemers wheeling and dealing in the shadows, plotting double-, triple-, and quadruple-crossings.
While the conflict is interesting, it is so complex that it bogs the pace of the story. Hasekura-sensei sets Lawrence up as a small fry trying to maneuver among the sharks of Eve and his guild leader Kieman. The plot requires an understanding of the power struggle over the narwhal, then the backroom deal Eve and Kieman are trying to broker, then the different ways everyone’s trying to swindle one another, and finally, the great ploy that upsets everything. Because the story unfolds through Lawrence’s eyes, the information we get is limited and mixed up with Lawrence’s conjecture and confusion. There were several passages I had to reread to understand what was going on. Hasekura-sensei’s underuse of dialogue tags in group scenes didn’t help. (Interestingly, one of the color illustrations attributes a quote to Col that actually belongs to Lawrence.)
However, if you’re willing to stick through the story’s sometimes tedious twists and turns, you’ll be rewarded by a brilliant and very clearly explained conclusion that also solves the mystery of the coin puzzle introduced in Volume 6. On top of that, poor Lawrence, who’s tossed around like a pawn throughout the majority of this arc, gets his hero moment.
Though Eve, Kieman, and the narwhal dominate in the battle over the narwhal, we do get a couple character building moments with Holo and Col. As it turns out, Holo’s not unfamiliar with the narwhal, and her connection to the creature reputed to bring immortality sheds light on how she regards her traveling companions. And a conversation away from Holo shows how a child raised in the pagan mountains views a journey with a wisewolf.
This light novel includes the title page, three two-page spreads, and the table of contents printed in color as well as eight black-and-white illustrations, a summary of Town of Strife I, and a world map.
In Summary
Hasekura-sensei brings the Kerube’s power struggle to its dramatic conclusion. The search for the ancient wolf bones fades to the background as Lawrence finds himself caught between the schemes of Eve and Kieman. Unfortunately, these masterminds are so crafty that their plans are difficult to follow. Spice and Wolf Volume 9 is a dense read for a light novel, but if you make it to the end, you’ll be gratified by a conclusion that sheds light on the events of three earlier volumes.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B-
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: August 20th, 2013
MSRP: $11.99
I know this is delayed, but I have to ask – what was the significance of the ending in this (9th) volume? I mean the last two pages of it. There is some subtlety that I didn’t pick up on with the scent of the herb/flower (whatever it was). Lawrence’s revelation in the last few lines is completely lost on me and I’d really like to know what happened. I had read all the previous volumes, yet nothing clicked in the details for me.
I’m pretty sure it was the most subtle way for the author to say that Lawrence didnt think it ideal to talk about what happened next. I’ll explain. If you think about it, Holo has wanted Lawrence to become more of a man since they first met. Slowly he has proven himself to her, but in this novel she found it an ideal opportunity to take a back seat and let him take charge. Remember he wanted to run away from this town at the start of the novel. It was outside of his comfort zone. Yet Lawrence did overcome it and saved an entire town. She was therefore wooed by him even more than usual. She booted out Col from the room so that she could express her feelings to him. I could have answered in one word however: Sex.
Ok, I was pretty sure that was the case, there just seemed to be an unusual focus on that flower they mentioned. Seems the last few pages could have used a bit of a clearer translation. I mean it was fairly obvious, but still it seemed to try to throw the reader off with unneeded details. Thanks for the confirmation.
Just my input six months late, but I honestly didn’t see that. Maybe I’m wrong, but what I got out of that was that he got chewed out badly by Holo in the room — which makes sense given that he’d just been kissed by Eve. I hardly think Holo would take kindly to that.
If they’d had sex, that would hardly be something that Lawrence would’ve wanted to forget. And that would be something that would’ve been a lot more significant to the book, requiring a lot more buildup — as that’s a HUGE jump in their relationship. As it is, I don’t think that explanation makes sense if you take into account that at this point they’re maintaining some space so that parting ways at the end will be easier.