It works wonders in bringing the tale of Spice & Wolf full circle.Īs the end of the volume approaches, we are met with a level of stress and anxiety from the characters that doesn’t really have a comparison within the rest of the series. He also thinks back on the sacrifices made by the people he has met allowing him to confirm, once again, just how much he is willing to give up to be with Holo. Stuck for several days with only mercenaries and a wounded rabbit as company, Lawrence is left mostly with his thoughts during this time, allowing him to contemplate the changes both he and Holo have undergone. A bold move by the author, but a perfect one for the conclusion of this tale. One of the greatest surprises was Lawrence and Holo’s separation for a good third of the book, not only was this the greatest length of pages they were apart in the entire series, but it was also the most time, that could be measured in days, that they had not interacted with each other since the time they met. I expected that Isuna Hasekura’s writing and characterizations would be top-notch as always, which they are, I just didn’t think that he would be able to surprise me after so much time spent reading this series, I was very, very wrong. Having read the previous 15 volumes in this series, I thought I had a good idea of how the narrative of this one would go. Just what is each character willing to give up for what they want most? Through all of this he keeps his head and shines as an example of this volume’s central theme, that of willing sacrifice. Hilde is a great character, from his introduction, where as a small, cute and furry creature he is able to calmly converse with the enraged Holo, to his time fleeing from Lesko with the Myuri Company, injured and apart from his former compatriots. But the most important role, outside that of Lawrence and Holo, has to go to the hare I mentioned above. Luward Myuri and Max Moizi, the captain and strategist of the Myuri Mercenary Company, respectively, whose flight from Lesko with Lawrence make up a majority of the volume, do much to reinforce themselves as characters and make themselves memorable in their own right, something missing from when they first appeared. While volume 15 was almost exclusively focused on the relationship between Lawrence and Holo after the events in Lenos, to its benefit, but to exclusion of its side characters, volume 16 uses both the returning and new characters to great effect. This is where The Coin of the Sun II diverges so greatly from the preceding volume. Sadly, it was all for naught, as behind this idyllic facade the middle management and a group of sponsoring nobles, filled with greed at the prospect of even greater wealth than they had already achieved, had lead a coup against the founders of the Debau Company and were ready to lead the North into war. After learning the truth, of a new currency and a free economically-independent North, Lawrence jumped at a chance to purchase his own shop in the burgeoning town. Without a full understanding of the Debau Company’s intentions, they were on edge despite the happy and smiling faces that surrounded them. When they first arrived in Lesko, Lawrence and Holo were wary of a place that seemed too good to be true. For better or worse, the end has come.Īs this is a review of the 16th volume in the series, do expect some spoilers in regard to early events, but I will do my best to avoid them. But as they celebrate together, an item that should be far to the Southeast is placed before them, upending their world and sending them on one final mad dash to save themselves, their friends and the future of the Northern Lands. Only a few months have past since Lawrence and Holo first meet under a harvest moon, now with the approach of Spring on the horizon and their journey to Yoitsu nearing its end, their plans for a quiet life together in the town of Lesko seem assured.
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