Following his good fortune in Pazzio, Lawrence is confident that he is on the path to realizing his dream of becoming a town merchant. One ill-informed business decision, though, leaves him teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and ruin! With no assets to his name - other than the cunning of his fetching traveling companion, Holo the Wisewolf - Lawrence may need to resort to illicit means to put his affairs in order. With all of the merchant's plans hinging on one beautiful young shepherdess - for whose vocation Holo holds no affection - Lawrence's prospects, both personal and professional, are looking grim!
Lawrence, Lawrence, Lawrence... However did you survive before meeting Holo?
As usual, Lawrence manages to get himself into trouble, which Holo promptly gets him out of, which gets them once more into trouble, which they both ultimately work together to get out of. Despite the easy formula, you'd never guess what would happen.
I have to say, having the "realistic" cover as a sleeve was nice. I get to protect the cover I really like with the cover that's so-so while I carry it around to read.
If you liked the first Spice & Wolf, you'll like this one. If you try to start with this one... go to your local book store and pick up the first, else this will be far too complicated to catch up on.
Gotta love the Wisewolf~
Upon 2nd reading The book is still excellent the second time around, but some scenes lost their impact when you know their coming. As always, Holo and Lawrence's interactions are the best part.
With a bad stroke of luck Lawrence's future is in trouble but thanks to the wise wolf Holo and honest shepherdess Norah he might be saved from a ruined future. With conspiracies, betrayal, and a crime against the church itself this is a story of recovering from financial ruin, guilt, and affections as Lawrence learns valuable lessons. :)
If you've been hesitating to purchase this volume due to the cover art of the previous volume, rest assured- Yen Press has heard your complaints. The books now have the original artwork on the book itself, while the "realistic" covers are now a slip cover. That really is a marked improvement, I must say. While I understand what they were trying to go for, the target audience for these books is the manga & anime crowd. (Especially since these books are almost always placed in the manga section in bookstores.)
In this second volume of "Spice & Wolf", we find our favorite merchant & wolf girl attempting to sell a bag of pepper for a large price. When they discover that the man buying it is using less than honest means to secure a good price, they manage to finagle a good amount of expensive armor from him. Unfortunately they all too soon discover that their "good fortune" was anything but & Lawrence is now in a very sizable amount of debt. In order to avoid being sold to a slave ship, Lawrence & Holo must undertake a very dangerous scheme involving their debtors, a lovely young shepherdess, & a dangerous stretch of woods!
I really enjoyed this more than I did the first volume. The translation seems to be far smoother than in the first book. I also enjoyed the information on the merchant trade, which seems to be one of the big driving forces of the series- second only to the slow chemistry that is building between our two main characters. Hasekura could have easily made this book into something more supernatural & romance driven, but his choice to make the merchant life the focus has served him well.
I also enjoyed the new characters in the book- it'll be interesting to see if any of them pop back up in the series later, especially Norah. As always, the illustrations in this are gorgeous, especially the full color versions at the beginning of the book. (Holo fans will be glad to know that they will see quite a bit of her in one of the illustrations!)
If you haven't read the first book, I recommend that you start there first. Even though it is only the second volume, there is already enough going on to where newcomers will have a bit of a problem catching up on the story. Even if you read about the first volume on the web, you are still losing out on a treat! (Now I just have to track down a copy of the first version that has the slipcover with it!)
Once again, Hasekura must be commended for creating a wonderful light novel that I enjoyed thoroughly from beginning to end. Spice & Wolf volume 2 was thrilling to read and managed to somehow keep me hooked from beginning to end.
Volume 2 continues where volume 1 left off. Holo the Wisewolf is still traveling with Lawrence, and Hasekura accurately captures the charm of the original book by having the two continuously trading banters. Just like in the first volume, volume 2 retains its wit as Holo skillfully keeps ahead of Lawrence as far as dialogue goes, though I feel the young by comparison trader is starting to get a handle on how to deal with her. When I first started reading this, I had the distinct sense that Holo and Lawrence's relationship had progressed.
One thing that volume 2 doesn't quite manage to capture is the inherent loneliness that both Holo and Lawrence felt, which was the foundation of their decision to travel together. I honestly don't mind this that much, as I feel this shows that neither feel quite so alone anymore since they have each other, but I know others who didn't like that. This story tends to have a higher focus on a straightforward plot with clear-cut consequences and a just as clear solution, though that does not stop this book from being exciting.
This book also introduces a new character, Norah, a shepherdess of some skill. Meek and somewhat unsure of herself at first, she portrays a stark contrast to Holo in personality. I do not know if she will show up again in another volume, but I will admit that I did enjoy seeing a new character enter the picture, even if it's only temporarily.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It was one of the few that I found hard to put down. If there was one thing that I feel didn't hold up, it was definitely the artwork. While certainly not bad, I feel like the illustrations are uninspiring and somewhat bland in comparison to the story. They just have that typical manga-esque and there's nothing that really makes the art stand out. Aside from that, this is definitely a story that I would highly recommend reading.
Final confuso e com pontas soltas, mas no geral tão bom quanto o primeiro. Maravilhoso acompanhar a evolução do relacionamento de Lawrence e Holo, que cada vez se entendem melhor.
"Não importa o quão delicioso seja o pão, às vezes você quer sopa."
The first installment of the series started out very slow and I almost dropped it but luckily the second volume has improved so much on what the previous volume lacked. The story continues right where the first novel ended but as the author continues to write the story becomes more bold and colorful. I was thoroughly impressed with the character building and the change in relationship between Holo and Lawrence. I would recommend continuing this series if you've already passed the first volume.
While in the previous book we are introduced to the characters in this one we see some more development. We learn more about Lawrence. His good and his bad sides and we see how the relationship between him and Holo develop. We don't learn a lot more about Holo but we mostly see more from her through the change in their relationship.
I really enjoyed this book, much more than the first book. After Kieli and Sword Art Online finding a light novel series I still haven't felt like I needed to finish, a series I have yet not to enjoy, is really nice. Soothing.
Book two is more serious than book one, I learned more about the world and its cultures which was interesting, Holo was more developed, and the banter between Lawrence and Holo made me smile even if I felt confused at times.
All in all this series is interesting (it's amazing how interesting earning profit can be, and how hard), and I liked how both Holo and Lawerence contributed to solving the serious situation Lawrence is in (because of both of them).
Final Ratings: I really liked this book, which makes me scared because this is only book two! But I enjoyed the story and the characters, and I don't feel a compulsion to read each book now now now.
Spice and Wolf volume two just proved that I truly enjoy this series, and have grown to love Holo and Lawrence.
Volume two follows the same dynamic of volume one with the characters going into a new town, Lawrence getting into another problem, betrayal and getting out of the problem. The translators at yen press have done an incredible job of translating the novel into English as I read some books from other countries which translation are horrible.
I enjoyed the character which is not much but the little we get is great and makes me anxious to read the next novel only thing is stopping me is that not all novels are out yet.
I won't say Hasekura is the most competent writer or that his prose is like poetry, but for the story he is telling, his writing excels in every way. His prose captures the feeling of the setting, without ever getting bogged down in details. He knows how to tie everything together, giving you a reason to pay attention at all times.
He has crafted two wonderful characters with such life and personality, you can't help but get invested in their friendship and romance. This is where the book shines the most. The relationship between Lawrence and Holo is what you're here for, and Hasekura delivers in spades, with witty dialogue as delectable as honeyed peach preserves.
The players around the duo are just as likable or devilish as they need to be, with Norah standing out as a wonderfully written character who I'd love to see appear in the series again. The story is well-told, with its twists and realistic development. Although Holo in wolf form can feel like a get-out-of-jail-free card, its the wits and cunning of the duo that get them through a rather harrowing ordeal.
I know it's been said before, but it is truly a marvel that Hasekura can make me care so much about medieval economics, all tied up in a light fantasy world that feels realistic and grounded.
This novel is the merchant romance story I didn't know I wanted. The light novel format makes it very easy to read and follow, and has a simple style of linear narration where I am only required to pay attention to the problem at hand, and enjoy the banter between Holo and Lawrence.
Despite being an easy read, the author uses some economic concepts which seamlessly blends in with the story. The problem in this volume involves a successful haggling that leads to buying a higher volume of goods on credit. Our merchant friend Lawrence purchases sets of armour to profit on its increased demand in Ruvinheigen. Upon arrival, he quickly finds that the price of armour crashed due to a unforeseen cancellation of a military raid, and he is neck-deep in debt with only a couple of days to pay off. This cautionary tale of never to buy on credit leads to an interesting solution which is only made better with the inclusion of Holo.
I am looking forward to discovering what else Spice and Wolf has to offer.
A solid continuation of the first Spice & Wolf book with the same interesting background of trade and business. In his story, the duo even meets a shepherd girl working for the Church which brings another dimension to the relationships.
However, the problems I faced with the first novel become more discernible now: What do the main characters want? Lawrence's a trader, but what is his goal in life and in the novel? The same goes for his quirky companion. What does Holo The Wisewolf want? She's just hanging out with Lawrence for...reasons.
They also lack personality, which makes them come across as superficial anime characters with no debt whatsoever even though I enjoy the encounters and banter between Lawrence and Holo a lot.
S&W 2 is still a fast read that goes down like chocolate butter, but I like my stories to have a purpose and my characters to follow goals. I'll be checking out number 3 for sure, but if it meanders as well, I'm going to stop reading.
The second in a quirky adventure/romance/travel story.
To some degree this feels like the obligatory "guy is tempted by another girl" story that follows the two main protagonists meeting. It is that, but it's somehow more too. As is typical with the Spice and Wolf series the witty dialog between Lawrence and Holo is one of the big draws.
The story adds depth to the world building, helping to accentuate just how harsh a world this is. We see the protagonists grasp on how far they will go for each other and how far they are willing (or not willing) to place others in jeopardy.
The main down point, which is common in most of this series is that as an light novel, it simply lacks the length to bring events to a un-rushed conclusion. AS such the ending feels a tiny bit rushed, although not hugely so.
These books are such a comfort read for me. I love the world building, the conversations around economics that are explained in a way even a simple minded person like me can understand.
And above all else, I love the 2 main protagonists! They have amazing chemistry, they make me root for them and I thoroughly love reading their conversations where they are constantly trying to out with each other.
I do think in this book, Lawrence is a bit of a dunce sometimes. Things I thought were obvious, and would plan for or notice he has no idea were coming. And when you're told as a merchant he always considers all possibilities, it just contradicts itself.
But the narrative in this book is a lot more fast paced, the new characters introduced are interesting. And the continued development of their relationship gives me them warm happy feelings!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Definitely on par with the first volume. Of course, the two get themselves into trouble again which takes some clever and original out of the box thinking to solve. Norah was a nice character addition to the novel as well. I just cannot get enough of Holo and Lawrence arguing with each other and I just live for Holo getting jealous of everything and everyone and pretending not to care at all, while when everything resolved and they can finally take a breath again, they grow a bit closer together. Gotta love slow burn romance.
I like the idea of Spice and Wolf more then the actual novels. The premise of having a light novel series focused on economics and trade, with a travelling merchant and his wolf girl companion in leading roles appeals to me.
But I dislike the old fashioned English used in the translations of these books. Light novels are supposed to be 'light' and have an anime/manga feel to them. These novels doesn't fit that description at all. They just don't feel like light novels.
The stakes are high. Lawrence has lost everything and has to resort to begging until an idea comes to mind. Lawrence and Holo, along with the help of the shepherdess, Norah, embark on a not-quite-legal adventure in order to pay off Lawrence's debt and provide a better future for Norah, away from the church.
This was quite an adventure with plenty of action scenes.
This book holds up very well as a second volume. There are less in depth economic descriptions than in the first volume, so it felt easier to read. If I was unsure about the series before, I'm sure I like it now. I got the impression early in the book that Lawrence obtained swords, but then at a later part it said they were sets of armor. "Even though her "bed" was packed full of sword hilts..." "Twenty sets of armor." This must have been either an editing or translation error.
This light novel is very much a fun light adventure featuring a ill-turned merchant and his befriended wolf-god, Halo. She's well on her way to wrapping him entirely around her finger -- but then, Lawrence sure seems to be doing a fair job of that, himself.
Very cute. I can't tell whether I enjoy the merchanting stuff, including getting into shady dealings, more than the romance. It's a seriously slow burn.
Whilst the first volume ended up too dense with information, therefore boring, the second lacked chemistry between the main characters, whom, to me, felt very 2 dimensional. Meanwhile the actual plot was fantastic: very tense and gripping. A real page turner. This volume was, even with its flaws, better than the first, which was, in a sense, forgettable.
As I read more and more of this series I can't believe how it keeps getting better. Truly an astounding feat by the author, illustrator , and translator. I love every aspect of this story. With each volume I can see the characters growing. As of writing this I have already purchased the next volume.
This wasn’t a bad part two to Spice and Wolf however I have an issue with the conclusion: this whole plot was kind of for nothing. Lawrence ends up in the exact same position he started in. There should be some more losses. There were also many grammatical mistakes. All in all, the book is quite average.
I liked this one a bit more then the first. I think if it wasn't for Holo he'd be dead first day without her. Poor Lawerence just keeps getting betrayed by everyone he meets no matter what he does. So this one was interesting more then the first since you just have to feel bad for him.. like the whole time.
Another good story involves everything I expect from Spice & Wolf, the main characters's traumatic and problems are surprisingly enormous that it could make you think the first book is just a trailer for this one.
This novel consisted of many heart-stopping moments, which kept my attention held and my mind interested. Through this book, I look through the eyes of a desperate person striving to avoid their grim fate even through using illicit methods. It allowed me to see that people can be deceiving in situations like these, and do anything to bring themselves back up. This book was definitely an interesting novel to read.