Books published by J-Novel Club

After a series of troubling events, Mochizuki Touya takes some much-needed downtime. The fate of two worlds still hangs in the balance, he needs to secure more allies in the Reverse World, and Yula and the wicked god continue their dark machinations in the background, but that doesn't mean that our hero can't take a little time for romance and relaxation. But unbeknownst to our crew, another god may have set his eyes on the mortal realm... Lovers waltz and blades clash, unveiling a story of swords, sorcery, and fun in the sun!

Proven appeal of subject: Over 15,000 copies of the original novel series have been sold as eBooks. Japanese turnout is strong, with a manga adaptation released in monthly serialisation and multiple anime series. Genre staying power: Combining fantasy elements with cute slice-of-life antics, Ascendance of a Bookworm is a story by a book-lover for book-lovers. The serialised storytelling also encourages returning for the next volume!

Mochizuki Touya has no time to rest. The fate of two worlds hang in the balance, after all. The Metal Devils, guided by Yula and seemingly supported by two mysterious twins, are on the rampage... They've mercilessly targeted the souls of people in both the world Touya knows, and the Reverse World! Armed with his new Frame Gear, Reginleif, will Touya be able to stop the malignant machinations of a wicked god? Fissures in space begin to crack, revealing a story of swords, sorcery, and a corrupted knight!

Contains the complete Volumes 1-2!Rio has known nothing but solitude, hunger, and an overwhelming thirst for revenge. But from the humble beginnings of a poor orphan comes a rebirth that turns the Galarc Kingdom on its head. Rio's awakened magical abilities¿and a chance encounter with royalty¿earn him a ticket to the most prestigious academy in the land. Naturally, the orphan boy catches the judgmental eye of more than a few nobles, though he is ever under the watchful gaze of a beautiful and doting instructor. Through his trials and tribulations, Riös prowess opens the door to an adventure spanning continents, international incidents, love triangles¿even an assassination attempt by an adorable werefox girl. Can Rio find himself while protecting the ones he loves? The stakes have never been higher as worlds collide!

Proven appeal of subject: Over 15,000 copies of this series have been sold as eBooks. Japanese turnout is strong, with existing manga and anime adaptations and a second anime announced for 2021. Genre staying power: A hilarious shoujo (girls-focused) romance, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! turns the genre on its head with wacky antics and loveable characters to keep the reader coming back for more. The serialised storytelling also encourages returning for the next volume! Artwork: Colour fold-outs, full-page black and white illustrations, and bonus manga chapters add extra value and provide crossover appeal with the manga buying audience.

Proven appeal of subject: Four unique anime adaptations (plus a series of compilation movies) have been made, granting the franchise long-term visibility within fandom. Two manga adaptations were previously published in the early 2000¿s.Genre staying power: A blockbuster action adventure series, Full Metal Panic! starts with fish-out-of-water comedy amped to 11, endearing characters to the audience before ratcheting up the intensity to keep the reader coming back for more. The serialised storytelling also encourages returning for the next volume! Artwork: Multiple full-page illustrations (including color frontmatter) add extra value and provide crossover appeal with the manga buying audience.

After hitting her head on a rock, Katarina Claes regains the memories of her past life, and realizes that she's been reincarnated into the world the otome game she'd been playing. There's only one problem ¿ she's the villainess of the game, who has only bad endings!From practicing with the sword to crafting fake snakes, Katarina has done her best to prepare for all the possible Catastrophic Bad Ends. Now it's finally time for her to enroll in the Academy of Magic, where the story of the game begins. Unfortunately she only finds more trouble there, starting with meeting the one who may spell her doom ¿ heroine of the game!Join Katarina as she tries to avoid all the bad routes, only to end up getting entangled with them in ways she'd never imagined!

Under the protection of the gods, a relaxed life with slimes in another world begins!One day, the life of middle-aged Japanese businessman Ryoma Takebayashi came to a rather sudden and disappointing end. Ryoma had never had a blessed life, but after his death, three great gods sought his cooperation and reincarnated him as a child in another world with swords and magic!Receiving a most cordial and divine welcome from the gods, Ryoma decides to live leisurely on his own in the forest for the time being. Working diligently at magic and hunting, Ryomäs greatest passion comes to be researching his tamed slimes?! Training a variety of slimes (some newly discovered), the curtain rises on this easygoing life fantasy celebrating a second life with kind people in another world!