Here’s a little known fact about me- I used to read a lot of manga as a teenager. I’ve never been a big anime watcher, but put a good manga in front of me and I’m all for it! Some of my favorites as a teenager were Godchild, The Cain Saga, Vampire Knight, Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstance) and A Midnight Opera (which only had 3 volumes and was never completed as far as I know). But once I started college and all the manga series I loved were either completed (or never finished in the case of A Midnight Opera), I stopped picking up new mangas to read. I would still reread my old favorites from time to time, but overall I moved past reading mangas.

It wasn’t until recently, probably within the last 1-2 months, that I started reading manga again. I found two series that I’ve absolutely fallen in love with and 2 manga series that I read the first books of and won’t be continuing on with (the art was great, but the writing and plot weren’t very good). So to switch things up a bit, I’m going to review one of my new favorite manga series for you, Magus of the Library.

When I first saw this series in the manga/graphic novel section of the bookstore I work at, the title immediately caught my interest. After all, I love books, libraries, and magic! I bought the first volume to read and I was immediately sucked into the story.

Without giving away too much (because I’m really hoping some of you will consider reading it for yourselves), we follow the journey of a young boy named Theo. Theo is a poor boy living in a small village with his sister. He’s an outsider because he’s poor and because of his “weird appearance”, which includes pointed ears. All Theo wants is to read and enjoy books because he sees the importance in them and he uses them as an escape from his reality (which I can relate to). There is a city called Aftzaak, City of Books and there is a grand library in the city, which Theo longs to visit. This dream seems impossible until one day he meets a Kafna (a librarian who works there) and this is where his journey begins.

Besides the art style of this manga being incredible, the storyline is amazing. Theo is a very likable and relatable protagonist. He has a good heart, passionate spirit, and is determined. He doubts himself from time to time, but what good protagonist doesn’t? Overall, the spirit of this manga makes me really happy and reading it reminds me of just how much a good book can change someone’s life. This is a manga that celebrates and emphasizes the importance of books and following your dreams and I feel that is the vibe we all need right now!

Volume 4 is set to be released on January 26th and I am very excited for! I haven’t been this excited about a book release since the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released! Magus of the Library has definitely made it onto my favorite mangas list and will be one I read through until the end. If you would like me to review Volume 4 on its own, let me know! And if you’re curious about the other manga series I’ve been loving and would like a series review on that as well, let me know!

Are you a manga reader? If so, what are some of your favorite series? Is this one you would consider reading? I would love to know! I hope everyone has a great week of book reading!